Bristol City have confirmed that young midfielder George Dowling left the club in the summer, despite still being listed on the club's website as a player.
The central midfielder has been on loan at Torquay United, Eastleigh and Weston-super-Mare and made two appearances for the Robins back in the 2015/16 campaign.
A trial took place with Derry City last season and Dowling was also reported to have played with Newport County recently, with a view to earning a contract.
And City have now confirmed that the 20-year-old left the club in the summer, despite the Robins originally reporting that an offer had been made to the player at the end of the season.
Our understanding is that no contract offer was made to the player during the summer.
Dowling, originally from Bedminster, attended Bristol Crown Court on 27 August for an alleged assault back in February and is due to stand trial early next year having pleaded not guilty.
He joined Bristol City's academy when he was eight years old and signed his first professional contract on October 27, 2015. He made his debut for the club on April 30, 2016, coming on as a 70th-minute substitute for Bobby Reid in a 4–0 Championship win over Huddersfield Town.
Meanwhile, the club has also confirmed that Freddie Hinds has joined Colchester United on loan until January, while young goalkeeper Lochlan Robertson links up with Evesham United for a month.
