Pat McShane is leaving the league and Irish Cup winners

Linfield full-backs Pat McShane and Tim McCann have been released by the club after failing to earn new contracts.

McShane has spent 12 years at Windsor Park while McCann moved to the Blues from Sligo Rovers three years ago.

Defenders Stephen Douglas and Kris Lindsay have secured new two-year contracts while veteran striker Glenn Ferguson has signed a one-year deal.

Skipper Noel Bailie, Oran Kearney, William Murphy and Jim Ervin have also signed on for another year.

"We looked at where we needed to strengthen and what players we had available," Linfield boss David Jeffrey told the club website.

"We felt in the left back area we could potentially have four left backs with Pat, Tim, Aidan O'Kane and young Jonathan Harkness who has just signed for us.

"We needed to strengthen elsewhere so really at the end of the day, that's what it came down to.

"We would have loved to have kept the players but it isn't just possible to do that. It wasn't about their ability, it wasn't about their talent, it was a simple matter of logistics."

Ferguson has been granted a testimonial season "in recognition of his quite outstanding and lengthy service in Linfield's cause".

Jeffrey and the club's Team Committee will meet other players for contract talks next week.