Glen Johnson, Stephen Ireland among seven to leave Stoke City

Defender Glen Johnson and midfielder Stephen Ireland have both been released by Stoke City.

The Potters have been relegated from the Premier League and the Staffordshire-based club have confirmed that they have opted to release the experienced pair at the end of their contracts.

Johnson has spent the last three seasons at the bet365 Stadium and although the right-back made 64 appearances in all competitions, just 10 outings came in the recent campaign.

Ireland has been at Stoke for five years but the playmaker's time at the club has been disrupted by injury, with just 59 games coming in the Premier League since first joining on loan in 2013.

Five players from the Under-23 setup - Shola Ayoola, Lewis Banks, Ryan Hill, Eddy Lecygne and Luis Da Silva - will also leave Stoke at the end of June.