Chris Brunt has lifted the lid on his decision to leave Bristol City after departing the club earlier this month.
The former West Bromwich Albion midfielder departed Ashton Gate by mutual agreement at the beginning of January, having sustained a calf injury that was set to rule him out for much of the rest of the 2020/21 season.
His departure was confirmed by the club on January 3, with Brunt's spell in BS3 ending after just 14 appearances, having signed a one-year deal with the Robins after joining on a free transfer in the summer after his exit from West Brom.
It came after a scan had revealed that he had a grade three tear in a tendon, which was in the same location as an old injury and was set to rule him out for at least 12 weeks, with the 36-year-old admitting that at his age, the recovery process could take longer.
And he has now told The Athletic that he came to the conclusion that it was not fair for him to undertake a 200-mile trip down from his home in the Midlands to Bristol for treatment each day, while picking up his wages with no prospect of playing.
“I spoke to my missus and my mum and dad and started talking about terminating my contract because it’s not really fair for me to sit there for four months, getting paid but with no chance of playing,” he said.
“It would have been easy just to sit there, especially if it was just around the corner, but it was 200 miles and I was travelling there and back every day.
“Everything I could do down there I could have done at home but it was frustrating because, with all the COVID restrictions, I couldn’t actually get to see a physio. I couldn’t go in and see somebody at West Brom, which I might have done in normal times, because I wouldn’t be allowed into their training ground.
“So I just decided it wasn’t fair on everybody else or on me so called it a day.”
Brunt still has fond memories of his time at Ashton Gate though, despite not being able to contribute as much as he would have liked after his summer switch.
And he admits that not being able to find his top form with the Robins was frustrating for him.
“I was enjoying it but, with the standards I set myself, I wasn’t overly impressed with the way I was playing,” he said.
“You get to a stage where you want to do things and you know your body can’t do them anymore.
“The way I was performing probably played a part in the decision.
“I really enjoyed my time at the club. The staff and the players were brilliant with me and hopefully, I had a positive impact around the place but I said when I went there I wanted to play football and try to have an impact on the pitch and I didn’t feel I was doing that.”
Nevertheless, he made an impression on the club, with Bristol City CEO Mark Ashton speaking positively about Brunt at the time of his departure.
He said: "I’d like to thank Chris for his contribution since joining us.
"Unfortunately, the injury means he will miss the majority of the remaining season and we felt it was in both our interests to end the agreement now."
