Inverness Caley Thistle hit back at former player's claims being released by email rather than in person as inaccurate
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle have emphatically denied former player Shane Sutherland’s claims he was released by the club by email insisting he was told in person.
However the club have said his claims are incorrect, stressing he was spoken to face-to-face by senior management and saying that the club followed UK employment law to the letter.
All clubs, under a tightening of UK employment law rules as applied to football, must now go through a set process with players who have been with them more than two years.
This involves an initial email inviting the player to an interview, a face-to-face meeting with a senior member of staff where the player learns if he will be offered a new deal, and then a follow-up email and letter confirming what was said at the interview.
The SPFL issues all clubs with a template for emails and letters following a toughening up of how UK employment law is applied in football.
A Caley Thistle spokesman insisted that the process had been followed fully and properly, with Sutherland interviewed by sporting director John Robertson.
At the meeting, the club says he was informed he would not be offered a new deal.
The spokesman said: “What Shane Sutherland is saying is completely inaccurate and a false narrative of what we had to follow in relation to UK employment guidelines.
“For the absolute avoidance of doubt, Shane was invited into the club to discuss his contract situation, face-to-face.
“It is a total misrepresentation to say otherwise.”
Sutherland did not play at Inverness at all last season, after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2021/22 Championship play-off semi final against Arbroath in May last year.
It is understood that Caley Thistle paid out a significant five-figure sum towards Sutherland’s two knee operations and rehabilitation process.
He was given a new contract last summer despite little prospect of him playing before the final months of this season at the earliest.
Sutherland is currently subject to a live SFA investigation into alleged gambling breaches between 2012 and 2019.
