Ben Purrington has admitted that he loved playing for Charlton Athletic and is hoping that the club can eventually climb the divisions in his absence.
As confirmed by Charlton's official website, Purrington is set to leave The Valley when his current contract expires at the end of June.
Signed by the Addicks on an initial loan deal in January 2019, the defender helped the club secure promotion by making 21 appearances during the second half of this particular campaign.
The highlight of Purrington's stint with Charlton came in the League One play-off final as he scored in his side's 2-1 victory over Sunderland.
After making a permanent switch to the club, Purrington went on to feature regularly for the Addicks.
In the previous term, the left-back participated in 31 games for Charlton in all competitions.
Having been forced to settle for a 13th place finish in the third-tier standings earlier this year, the Addicks will be determined to push on at this level next season.
After it was announced that Purrington would be leaving, the defender opted to share a message with Charlton's supporters.
Speaking to the club's website, Purrington said: "I’ve loved my time at Charlton.
"During my four seasons, I’ve made some of the best memories I could wish for in my career, both collectively as a team and individually.
"I’m proud to have played a small part in the history of Charlton, to play over 100 times for the club and pull the shirt on that many times has been an honour and a privilege.
"The day at Wembley is one that I’ll never forget – the crowd, the atmosphere, the buzz about the place – it was good to give something back to the fans that day.
"Hopefully, there will be many more times like that in the future for Charlton when, fingers crossed, they climb the leagues again."
The Verdict
Having made the decision to part ways with Purrington, Charlton will now need to draft in a replacement for the full-back in the current transfer window.
Purrington meanwhile will be on the lookout for a new club and may not be short of suitors at this level as he has illustrated in the past that he is capable of delivering the goods in the third-tier.
In order to have a chance of launching a push for promotion next season, it is imperative that the Addicks do not make any mistakes when it comes to recruitment.
With the new campaign set to get underway next month, Charlton manager Ben Garner may need to act quickly in order to secure the services of some of the club's key targets.