Kisnorbo - I didn't want to leave!

[davieG]

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/spor...il/article.html

Patrick Kisnorbo has spoken for the first time of his "sadness" at being released by Leicester City.

The 28-year-old Australia international, one of five senior players jettisoned by City manager Nigel Pearson last week, has sent the message: "Just tell the fans I didn't want to go."

Kisnorbo, who spent four years at the Walkers Stadium and was twice voted player of the year, said he was "very disappointed" not to be offered a new deal when his contract expired.

Speaking from Australia, Kisnorbo, who made 133 League starts for City, said: "I'm very disappointed to have been released. I thought I was still good enough for the team, but the gaffer said he had other plans.

"It's sad. He said he has got his own players and I have to respect that decision – it's his choice."

Kisnorbo suffered a cruciate ligament injury to his left knee towards the end of the 2007-08 campaign, which was blighted by City's relegation to the third tier.

He returned in October last year only to damage his right knee. He started just three games in the second half of the season, which saw the club clinch the League One title.

Kisnorbo admitted he had been facing an uncertain future at the club for some time and there had been discussions about a loan move away from the Walkers Stadium.

He said: "There was a chance of me going out on loan, but then Leicester changed their mind.

"The gaffer told me before the last game at Crewe that I wouldn't be offered a new deal so I was not involved at all in that one.

"I want to thank everyone for their e-mails and messages of support and to let everyone know I'm not going because I wanted to."

Kisnorbo wants to stay in the Championship and he is understood to be attracting the attentions of Crystal Palace and Ipswich.

He said: "I have to show Leicester next season what they are missing because I'm desperate to stay in the Championship."

A City spokesman said Pearson would not be commenting on any of the players' departure.

Lance Tomlyn, chairman of the Independent Supporters' Association, said Kisnorbo would have found it difficult last season as he had a long-term injury when Pearson arrived.''

But Tomlyn says the centre-half would definitely have been in his Championship team,

"I would not like to see him in a side playing against us but, having said that, I wouldn't want to go against what Pearson is thinking."

City Supporters Club chairman Cliff Ginnetta said: "Managers look at things in different ways and perhaps this one wants a bigger, stronger centre-half than Kisnorbo."

[Stevosevic]

Will always have my respect, one few players i liked in the last few years before Pearsons team.

Not a legend, but certainly deserves a round of applause when he returns.

I wish him well.

[Mickey O'Neil]

Will always have my respect, one few players i liked in the last few years before Pearsons team.

Not a legend, but certainly deserves a round of applause when he returns.

I wish him well.

+1

[Babylon]

Amazing really how quick people opinions change. Derided when he first came and played in midfield, converted to centre back and won two player of the year titles. Comes back from a bad injury this year and gets slagged off again.

He'll be appreciated somewhere else, I wish him luck.

[C-man]

Good luck to him, I'll certainly applaud him if he rocks up against us next season. I'd even start the Kisnorbo chant for him...

[CosbehFox]

As much as his form rocked up and down, he never shirked the challenge, took a lot of abuse on the chin and generally was our best players in the two previous seasons before this one.

Deserves a warm welcome if he plays at the Walkers. We were relegated as soon as he went down injured against Wednesday.

[breadandcheese]

Good luck to Paddy as he is a good championship centre half, who always gave 100% for us and never shirked a tackle or header.

It's just unfortunate that we have 4 good centre-halfs, so could do with saving his wage money to spend on other areas of the team. It's a reallocation of resources rather than any indictment on his ability.

[foxoffderby]

Thanks for all your efforts

[General Smuts]

Shame to see him leave but there is no chance he'll get anywhere near the first team with Hobbs and Tunch and Pearson prefers Morrison and Brown as well. No questions about the effort he puts in every week and i'll always thank him for that.

Good luck elsewhere.

EDIT: Same goes for Paul Henderson as well.

[Guest Bilo]

A great servant to the club and always gave everything, but the brutal truth is that Tunchev and Hobbs have proved to better in the same position and Morrison is a more than adequate deputy to both of them. Brown is also going to be in front of him in the queue, so only an injury crisis will give him a chance really.

A good solid player and a thoroughly decent lad though, wish him all the best wherever he ends up. As others have said, he deserves a warm welcome if and when he returns to the Walkers.

[StanSP]

Genuinely was one of my favourite players and was quite gutted when I found out he would be leaving.

But the fact is there are better players in the squad now. If it's time to move on for him, then it must be done.

[J.Lisemore]

Good luck to him.

He will do well in the Championship next year.

[Asha]

Really nice bloke Kissy.

Sad to see him leave in a way, but we've got to move with the times and with Tunch and Hobbs we've got a decent enough defensive partnership.

[Pricey]

Really nice bloke Kissy.

Sad to see him leave in a way, but we've got to move with the times and with Tunch and Hobbs we've got a decent enough defensive partnership.

Yeah more than decent. But without the signing of Brown he might've of stayed though I think, is Brown alot better?

Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to be 3/4th choice centre back though still.

[Corky]

Best of luck to him, always gave 100 per cent and did show some quality at times. His presence from set-pieces was useful too.

Hope he has a good time at his new club.

[Granno]

Sad to see him go, will certainly cause us a few problems if he moves to another Championship club.

But if Pearson hasn't got plans for him to be in the team, then it was a good move to get rid.

[Manwell Pablo]

Fully fit I'd say only Tunchev is obviously better than him. Will be interesting to see how Jack Hobbs performs in the Championship. People forget that despite getting relegated our defense had the record of a top half team we just couldn't put the ball in the net. Kisnorbo was the main reason for this.

Only thing that makes me back this descion is the question over his knees, he had problems with them at Hearts as well as he gets older they might start to go more.

[Jimmy]

considering he wouldn't be a 1st team regular the wages he would of commanded would of been too high.

gave 100% at times when others couldn't be arse and I'll always respect that but I wasn't his biggest fan, no doubt he'll score against us though.

Good luck wi8th the rest of your career Paddy

[Bluefoxtim]

Really nice bloke Kissy.

Sad to see him leave in a way, but we've got to move with the times and with Tunch and Hobbs we've got a decent enough defensive partnership.

He's a mardy b*stard!

[DB11]

Remember the 22nd November 2005 when we played Watford and drew 2-2?

Well, that was his first game as captain as Leicester City. I was mascot

[Ozwin]

He'll get a decent reaction when he returns I'm sure.

[Lovejoy]

Not sure whether to believe it or not but a, ahem, nightclub dj, reckons he is set for a move to MK .

[TrickyTrev]

Yeah more than decent. But without the signing of Brown he might've of stayed though I think, is Brown alot better?

Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to be 3/4th choice centre back though still.

I have personally seen nothing of Brown to suggest he is better than Kisnorbo. But he may be more willing to play a supporting role, which he certainly will have to settle with is Tunchev is fit.

[Fox92]

'People change just like the weather'

A quotation from Madness' song NW5 and I have included it for a simple reason.

When Kisnorbo first came from Hearts, he was hugely dissapointing and dare I say, useless.

However, Rob Kelly moved him to centre back and he became a star didn't he?

I loved the man and it is unrealistic how he changed as soon as he played centre back.

Good look to him whever he goes.

[Lovejoy]

Kisnorbo was made to look better than he was by the shower of shit around him. As soon as the team became a winning one, people realised he wasn't so great after all. Nice to see he cares for the club, and was by no means as poor as most of the players in his four years here, but time to move on for both parties.