‘I love the city - Chris Martin’s emotional farewell message to Bristol City

Chris Martin says he hopes to be back down Ashton Gate after penning a heartfelt farewell message following his departure from Bristol City.

The 34-year-old along with Timm Klose saw his contract terminated on deadline day, to allow for a move outside of the transfer window. Bristol City did not want to stand in the way of a potential departure and with his contract released inside of the 31 days of January, he can register for a new team providing they have a free spot in their submitted squad lists to the English Football League.

Martin joined the Robins on a free transfer in September 2020 when Dean Holden was in charge, spending two-and-a-half-seasons with the club. He joined on a two-year deal and that was extended last year after activating a clause in his contract.

In his years spent at the club, he scored 17 goals in 95 appearances for the club, also registering 11 assists. Martin reached double figures for the club last year, scoring 12 goals in 44 matches, missing just two games in the entirety of the Championship campaign and forged a strong strike partnership with Antoine Semenyo. He is the scorer of the last competitive penalty that City were awarded, which came against Coventry City last season.

In a series of three tweets in reaction to his departure, he began with: "So, my spell at Bristol City came to an end last week. I've met some amazing people & enjoyed great times on & off the pitch over the year - I'll always be grateful.

"Thank you to the fans for your support all the way through & kind messages over the last few days. It was an honour to pull on the shirt & represent your club. With the talent coming through, there are exciting times ahead!

"My family & I love the city & I'll always have an attachment to the area, & with my son being born here, I'll hopefully see you back down at The Gate. "All the best for this season & beyond."

In the current season, Martin made 19 appearances in both the Championship and the Carabao Cup, and scored once. He did not feature in City's last eight matches, and his last appearance for the club was a 2-1 defeat to Stoke City in mid-December. The return to form from Nahki Wells, and the emergence of both Tommy Conway and later Sam Bell put Martin lower down the pecking order at Bristol City. The confirmed arrival of Harry Cornick from Luton Town, allowed City to part ways with Martin with the appropriate cover sought whilst Conway returns from a hamstring injury.

Martin had been linked with a return to former club Derby County, but Paul Warne said last week that he was not pursuing a move for the Scotland striker.