Phil Jagielka has officially announced that he will leave Everton this summer after 12 years with the club.
The 36-year-old arrived at Goodison Park for £4 million from Sheffield United back in 2007 and went on to make 385 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 19 goals in that time. But the time has come for him to leave the club, having managed to play just seven times in the Premier League this season.
Speaking about his departure on his Twitter feed, he said "Unfortunately my journey at Everton has come to an end after 12 fantastic seasons, I have been lucky enough to play over 380 games and lucky enough to be club captain for six years.
"All I can say is thanks to all the players I've played alongside, all the staff that have helped me in their own way, the chairman and of course the amazing fans."
Jagielka will undoubtedly go down as a legend amongst the Everton faithful. He was their club captain since 2013, scored a memorable last minute volleyed equaliser against fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield and represented England 40 times whilst a Toffees player. Indeed chairman Bill Kenwright paid tribute to him, describing the defender as "one of Everton's greatest servants."
But he now joins fellow England internationals such as Daniel Sturridge and Andy Carroll in looking for a new club in the summer transfer window.
So where will he go? We have taken a look at the bookmakers odds to assess where the possible destinations he could end up at for next season may be.
Sheffield United odds-on to secure Phil Jagielka transfer
As mentioned, Jagielka joined Everton from Sheffield United and there are rumours that he could return to Bramall Lane this summer.
Like at Everton, the defender is something of a club legend at United. He spent seven years there between 2000-07, made 287 appearances in all competitions and was a key player as they gained promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock in 2006.
Two of his appearances in red and white came as a goalkeeper too, including a 20 minute cameo in a top flight match against Arsenal which the Blades won 1-0. He made some decent saves in that game and it is one of many reasons why he has gone down in Sheffield United folklore.
With the Blades set to make their Premier League return in the 2019/20 season, Chris Wilder may be tempted to draft him in to add some top flight experience to his squad. It would certainly be a popular signing amongst the fanbase and if on a sensible wage he could be a worthwhile addition to help give the likes of John Egan and Jack O'Connell advice on playing in the top tier.
The bookmakers seem to think that this is a move that is likely to happen too. Sky Bet are offering odds of 4/7 for the 36-year-old to return to South Yorkshire this summer, with Stoke City next on the market but with a significantly longer price of 9/2.
Other options include Rangers, who are managed by Jagielka's former England teammate Steven Gerrard, at odds of 11/2 and their Glasgow rivals Celtic who are 7/1. Aston Villa and Leeds United are also on the market, but moves to either look unlikely at this stage with odds of 11/1 and 16/1 respectively.
Full Phil Jagielka next club odds:
(All odds from Sky Bet)
- Sheffield United - 4/7
- Stoke City - 9/2
- Rangers - 11/2
- Celtic - 7/1
- Aston Villa - 11/1
- Leeds United - 16/1
