Kerala Blasters star Iain Hume bids farewell with emotional message

The visibly heartbroken striker took to social media to convey that the club had decided against extending his stay.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters' star striker Iain Hume has announced that he will not be returning to the club next season. The Canadian took to social media on Sunday evening to convey that the Blasters had decided not to extend his stay at the club.

The 34-year-old forward has been a revelation in the ISL. Hume started with Kerala since the inaugural season of the league in 2014 and then he also had a great stint with ATK where he won the coveted crown in 2016. Known for his tireless work-rate and goalscoring prowess, he has been a heartthrob for whichever team he has played for in India.

After Hume's success in Kolkata, he rejoined the Blasters ahead of the 2017 campaign and it was nothing less than a homecoming for the Canadian forward. However, the ace who had plied his trade with clubs like Leicester City, Barnsley, Tranmere Rovers and so on in England, didn't hit his top gear after returning to Kochi. Stricken by injuries, Hume had a season to forget as Blasters ended the campaign in a very disappointing manner, finishing sixth  in the league.

But, amidst all of this, when he was getting back to full fitness ahead of the new season, it has emerged that the 34-year old will not continue with the southerners.

Read: Iain Hume's emotional fareful in full

The striker himself cleared the air and wrote a heartfelt message on Facebook, saying "As I’m sure everyone has already heard, I unfortunately won’t be returning to Kerala Blasters FC for ISL 5. Although, it was always my (and I thought the club's as well) aim to return and put a few things right when I’m back from my injury, that has somehow changed and the club have decided they wanted to go down a different route. Unfortunately, that’s football, and it can be extremely cruel at times. But, as always, I wish everyone involved with the club, all the very best in the future."

Hume was a fan-favourite among the Majappadda faithful and the forward also made special mention of all those wonderful fans in his message. "The fans are by far the most passionate I’ve ever played for and deserve every success! I just wish I was a part of it moving forward. But, like I said, this is football and we continue to move forward, regardless the circumstances. I just want to thank you all for your incredible support since I first joined in ISL 1 until now. You guys are truly special, and I will be forever grateful!," he applauded.

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The ISL's all-time top scorer also went on to address rumours linking him with  a move to other Indian clubs as he said that he wants to concentrate on his fitness and come back strongly. Lastly, he wished the club success in the years to come and thanked the medical staff for their support.

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Interestingly, Kerala have also announced the signing of a new Slovenian forward, Matej Poplatnik. With things now falling into place, it seems that the Blasters management have let Hume go considering his injury concerns and have replaced him with a more youthful forward as in Matej.

The club's preparations for the upcoming season are in full flow as the Blasters are gearing up for a pre-season tournament in Kochi, which is also set to feature A-League outfit Melbourne City and Spanish team Girona FC, starting later this month.