Club confirm Butler departure

The club has today confirmed that Thomas Butler is no longer a Sunderland player, but has declined to give a reason for his departure.

The news came as this season's squad numbers were made public, including the news that Chris Brown has been given the number 20 shirt previously worn by Butler.

Butler's hasn't played for us since our 1-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest in January when he was substituted after only 36 minutes, and his continued absence led to many rumours about the reason. He made only 14 appearances for Sunderland in the 2003/04 season.

A club spokesman said today, "Unfortunately the club is unable to comment on the situation as it is a legal matter and, for this reason, the details must remain confidential. What we can confirm, however, is that Thomas left the club's employment last season."