Soccer:Chelsea have made the surprise announcement that assistant manager Ray Wilkins has left the club. Wilkins' contract was up for renewal but having not been offered fresh terms he has left the Barclays Premier League champions with immediate effect.
Wilkins was on the bench for last night’s 1-0 win over Fulham but will now be seeking new employers.
"On behalf of everyone at the club I would like to thank Ray for everything he has done for Chelsea Football Club," Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said today. "We all wish him well for the future."
The former England midfielder rejoined Chelsea’s coaching staff for a second time in 2008 to work under Luiz Felipe Scolari and was asked to take over as boss on a caretaker basis when the Brazilian was sacked in February 2009.
He stayed at the club when Guus Hiddink came in until the end of the season and also remained when Carlo Ancelotti was named boss ahead of the 2009/10 season.
Wilkins, 54, also enjoyed a distinguished playing career with spells at Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan and QPR amongst others.