Several former Bristol City players and loanees are set to become free agents this summer upon the expiry of their respective contractsFormer Bristol City defenders Aden Flint and Jack Hunt are both now free agents(Image: Getty Images)

With all three play-off finals played over the course of the bank holiday weekend, the English football season is now over for Bristol City and their EFL counterparts.

Now, for the majority of supporters, attention turns to preparations for the new campaign and the summer transfer window. Fans are keen to see their teams add to their ranks and find the missing piece of the jigsaw so that they can push on and take a step forward next season.

The first part of that process is the publication of retained lists. At this stage, the majority of clubs in the pyramid have confirmed which players will be departing upon the expiry of their contracts.

Just how much value there will be to the Robins in the pool of free agents is anyone’s guess. While players like Preston North End’s Emil Riis will have no doubt caught the eye of fans, it is not yet clear just how or when the Robins intend to utilise that market.

As is the case every year, there are plenty of names that now find themselves without a club after being released by a club in the top four divisions of English football, and a handful of those players have donned City’s red and white kit in the past.

Some had much more impactful stints at Ashton Gate than others but Bristol Live has plucked out the former players who are currently without a club after leaving a league outfit…

READ MORE: ‘Time for a fresh start’ – Bristol City academy graduate issues message after Robins releaseREAD MORE: Former Bristol City assistant set for Reds re-match as 2025/26 Championship line-up confirmedRobbie Cundy

It feels like a lot longer than three years ago Robbie Cundy turned down a contract offer from Bristol City having finally broken into the first team under Nigel Pearson. At that time, the centre-back wanted to play more regular first-team football and rather admirably made the call to drop into League One with Barnsley to do exactly that.

Various injuries meant that Cundy only managed to play 31 matches for the Tykes over the course of his two seasons at Oakwell before signing for Notts County as a free agent last summer.

Having made just seven appearances for the Magpies in the first half of the season, he has spent the last few months on loan with Solihull Moors in the National League and will be free to find a new club again this summer.

Aden Flint

There were few members of Steve Cotterill’s double-winning Bristol City side more popular among supporters than Aden Flint.

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Having made the move to BS3 from Swindon Town in 2013, the imposing centre-back played a huge role as the Robins romped to the League One and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy title, opening the scoring against Walsall at Wembley and finding the net on a further 14 occasions that term.

The now-35-year-old remained a regular starter at Ashton Gate until 2018 before he completed a big-money move to Middlesbrough. After a single season at the Riverside, he joined the Robins’ Severnside rivals Cardiff City before short spells at both Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday.

For the last two years, Flint has been a regular fixture of Mansfield Town’s backline, helping them win promotion to League One in the 2023/24 campaign before playing 36 times last term as the Stags dodged the drop by a comfortable eight points. Now, the defender will be on the hunt for a new club having been released this summer.

Ben Hamer

For the second summer in a row, boyhood Bristol City fan Ben Hamer is on the lookout for a new side. The goalkeeper spent a brief period on loan at Ashton Gate in the 2015/16 season but only made five appearances for the Robins before returning to Leicester City.

Stints at Huddersfield Town, Derby County, Swansea and Watford followed before the now 37-year-old joined Sheffield Wednesday last summer. The former Reds loanee didn’t manage to make a single appearance for the Owls all term, meaning his last competitive outing came almost 15 months ago.

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Vincent Harper

A product of the Bristol City academy, Vincent Harper was released by the Robins in the summer of 2021 having not made a single competitive appearance for the first-team.

Following his Ashton Gate exit, the young full-back dropped into the National League North to join Chippenham Town but less than a month later, he stepped up a division, joining Eastleigh on a permanent deal. After two years with the Spitfires, Harper returned to the Football League with Exeter City, playing 31 times as the Grecians finished 13th in League One.

The 24-year-old made 22 league appearances this term as Gary Caldwell’s side finished a comfortable 10 points clear of relegation. While there was an option in his contract to extend his stay by a further 12 months, Exeter have opted not to take up said clause and Harper is now on the hunt for a new team.

Jack Hunt

One of many players to trade the red side of Bristol for the blue and white in recent years, Jack Hunt arrived at Ashton Gate in the summer of 2018 from Sheffield Wednesday.

In his three seasons in BS3, the right-back made 115 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring four goals and picking up 15 assists under the management of Lee Johnson, Dean Holden and Nigel Pearson.

Jack Hunt in action for Bristol Rovers(Image: Will Cooper/PPAUK)

Having departed South Bristol as a free agent, Hunt returned to Hillsborough and helped Wednesday seal a return to the Championship, even scoring the winning penalty in the play-off semi-final win over Peterborough. Following the Owls’ promotion, Hunt was released and returned to Bristol, joining Rovers as a free agent.

In his time with the Gas, the now-34-year-old has been in and out of the team as a result of both injury and selection decisions. After starting just 16 League One matches last term, Rovers confirmed Hunt’s contract will not be renewed following the club’s relegation to the fourth tier of English football.

Richard O’Donnell

One of a host of goalkeepers signed to compete with Frank Fielding between the Bristol City posts, O’Donnell spent a year at Ashton Gate. In that time, he made 32 appearances for the Reds in all competitions before joining Rotherham United in January 2017.

Since then, the now 36-year-old has enjoyed spells with Northampton Town, Rochdale and Bradford City but the last two years have seen him serve as the second-choice stopper at Blackpool.

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Having made just six League One appearances this term, O’Donnell will once be looking for a new club this summer after the Tangerines confirmed his contract would not be renewed. Whether or not that will see him continue as a back-up ‘keeper or drop further down the pyramid to serve as another club’s number one is yet to be seen.

Sam Vokes

Considering the career he has gone on to have, particularly with both Burnley, it is safe to say Sam Vokes’ loan spell as a Bristol City player was more than a little bit forgettable.

The then 20-year-old was brought to Ashton Gate as cover for Nicky Maynard and Danny Haynes by Steve Coppell, but only made one Championship appearance for the Robins, playing 13 minutes off of the bench in a 3-0 defeat to Millwall.

Similarly, unencouraging loans at Sheffield United, Norwich City, Burnley and Brighton followed before Vokes made the permanent move to Turf Moor. Ultimately, the Wales international scored 64 goals, including one in Europa League qualifying, for the Clarets before joining Stoke City.

After two years with the Potters, Vokes joined Wycombe in 2021. After the Chairboys narrowly missed out on a place in the League One play-offs, they confirmed that the now 35-year-old forward is set to depart Adams Park as a free agent.

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