Middlesbrough skipper Paul Ince has left the club after turning down the offer of a new two-year contract.
The 34-year-old former England international decided not to sign a new deal because of the travel involved from his family home in the North-West.
Ince's decision will come as a disappointment to manager Steve McClaren, who now faces the task of rebuilding his midfield with just weeks to go before the start of the new season.
PA