Former Lincoln City Ace Released By Club

Ex-Lincoln City and Peterborough United midfielder Alex Woodyard has been released by National League side York City, the club have confirmed.

In a statement, the club said, “York City can confirm that midfielder Alex Woodyard has had his contract mutually terminated with immediate effect.

“We wish Alex well in his future endeavours and thank him for his efforts whilst with the Minstermen.”

The 31-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions at the LNER Community Stadium, failing to score as York finished 20th in the league, narrowly avoiding relegation to the National League North.

Prior to his move to Yorkshire, Woodyard had been something of a journeyman, having had spells at no less than seven clubs across the EFL and non-league.  He started his career at Southend United, making 15 appearances before dropping into non-league with Dartford, Concord Rangers and Braintree Town before switching to then-Conference side Lincoln.

The midfielder was a big hit in Lincolnshire, picking up the club’s player of the season award in 2016-17 as they secured promotion back to the Football League as champions. That season also saw the Imps make their famous run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, with Woodyard playing a big role as Lincoln became the first non-league side to reach the last eight in over 100 years.

Gravesend-born Woodyard then made the move to rivals Peterborough in 2018 after Posh triggered a release clause in his Imps contract. He played 70 times in Cambridgeshire alongside a loan at Tranmere Rovers, before moving to AFC Wimbledon where he spent three years until being snapped up by the Minstermen.

Despite a relatively unsuccessful spell up north, Woodyard has built up plenty of EFL credit in his career so a good move could still be on the cards as teams across the divisions look to finalise their squads ahead of the new season.

Writer’s View

Woodyard’s spell at York was disappointing, so perhaps it’s best the two parties separate as they look to improve on recent times.

York will be looking to rebuild their squad to make a better go of the National League next year, while Woodyard will be hoping a team at the top end of the division or even in League Two pick him up.

He’s proven himself to be a quality player and has bags of experience, so it could be feasible that a fourth-tier side look to him as they look to retain their EFL status.

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