Mariappa heads exit list from League Two Salford
Salford City have released three players following their brush with League Two relegation.
On top of the loss of midfielder Elliot Watt and veteran striker Matt Smith, who had already announced that they would not be signing a new deal, Salford are letting go of Adrian Mariappa, Stevie Mallan and Connor McLennan.
Former Watford, Reading and Crystal Palace defender Mariappa, 37, joined Salford from Burton Albion in March 2022.
Ex-St Mirren, Barnsley and Hibernian midfielder Mallan, 28, arrived at the club in June 2022 on a two-year deal following a spell with Turkish Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor.
Winger McLennan, 24, joined Salford in July 2023 following his exit from Aberdeen.
On-loan West Bromwich Albion defender Ethan Ingram has returned to his parent club, as has Declan John to Bolton Wanderers, while academy graduate Djavan Pedro, who went out on loan to help Warrington Rylands reach the Northern Premier League play-offs this season, is also to leave.
Salford finished 20th in League Two this season, their lowest league placing since being promoted to the English Football League for the first time in 2019.
Karl Robinson took over in early January following the post-Christmas departure of Neil Wood, when he became the club's Class of 92 owners' sixth full-time manager to take charge since Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson, the stars of their TV non-league days, left in 2018.
