Hughes cuts 7 players loose

London - Newly appointed Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has sanctioned the release of seven players, the Premier League club revealed on Thursday.

The players leaving the club include former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, one-time England centre-back Matthew Upson, and Irish midfielder Rory Delap, whose long throw-ins were a renowned feature of the team's strategy under Hughes's predecessor, Tony Pulis.

Pennant, 30, made only two appearances for Stoke this season and spent three months of the campaign on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship.

Hughes also released midfielder Dean Whitehead, who made 30 appearances in the 2012-13 campaign.

The other players allowed to leave the Britannia Stadium were goalkeeper Carlo Nash, Northern Irish midfielder Matthew Lund, and Malian striker Mamady Sidibe.