Kirsty Linnett: "What upsets me is the club support campaigns for mental health yet treat their own players with such little regard and respect." Liverpool said: "Liverpool Women are in the process of compiling their retained and released list for the forthcoming season."
Saturday 22 May 2021 09:28, UK
Kirsty Linnett and Becky Jane have hit out at Liverpool over how they have been treated, as both players are set to leave the club.
Linnett confirmed her departure from Liverpool Women in a social media post, in which she claimed a contract offer previously sent to her agent had been retracted without her being informed.
The 27-year-old, who spent three seasons at Liverpool, said: "My time at Liverpool has come to an end... I have seen a lot of similar experiences to what I have experienced below in women's football recently.
"Something needs to change, people need to be treated better, it's not good enough.
"It would have been nice if someone from the club had the decency to tell me that they were retracting the contract offer they'd previously sent my agent.
"I felt that after three years the least I deserved was a face to face meeting the moment they knew they wanted to let me go.
"Instead of calling my agent, telling him and then asking him to decide whether to tell me or the club call me!
"It's also sad that this situation was only brought to light after my agent had emailed the GM to further the negotiations.
"Football is football but where does this stop? I've no hard feeling with being let go, it's part of the game.
"What upsets me is the club support campaigns for mental health yet treat their own players with such little regard and respect.
"Let's hope clubs can do better by their players during these difficult times and act with more care for the people involved as manners and morals cost nothing."
Following Linnett's post, her team-mate Jane also said her contract offer had been retracted by the club.
The defender replied to Linnett's tweet: "The club have retracted my contract offer in a similar way.
"As female footballers with zero security as it is; the least we deserve is to be treated better and with respect. It takes nothing to be kind."
In response to the comments, a Liverpool spokesperson said: "Like all professional clubs, Liverpool Women are in the process of compiling their retained and released list for the forthcoming season.
"Several clubs have already announced their list and LFCW will release their own complete list in due course.
"With the players two weeks into their off season holidays, the club has been informing all affected players of decisions as early as possible.
"With players contracted until the end of June this gives them the best possible chance of securing new clubs and making plans for next season.
"Players' agents have also been informed as is standard practice.
"We of course thank all the players who will be moving on for their service to the club and wish them nothing but success in the future."
Former Birmingham boss Carla Ward recently spoke of off-field issues she experienced and questioned whether football clubs are set up to keep up with the growth of women's football.
Ward, who has now been appointed Aston Villa boss, said: "Do all football clubs understand the size of women's football, the importance of women's football?
"I think they're questions that every single football club should be looking at each year when they think about how their women's team is set out."
