Chicago Fire sells Designated Player Shaun Maloney to Hull City
The Chicago Fire has sold star midfielder Shaun Maloney to English Championship side Hull City, the club announced Thursday.
Maloney, 32, joined the Fire earlier in the year as a Designated Player, prior to the start of the 2015 Major League Soccer season. The Scottish international has played for a handful of teams in the U.K., including Celtic, Aston Villa, and Wigan Athletic. But Maloney requested a move away, citing family matters, and the Fire obliged.
"This was a very difficult decision to make but one that I felt I needed to make for various reasons," Maloney said in a statement on the club's website. "Although my time at the club was brief, I feel very fortunate for the experience to play for the Chicago Fire and would like to thank in particular my teammates for the time I spent with them and hope that in the future the club can become successful on the pitch once again."
White Chicago has endured a torrid 2015 season, Maloney didn't necessarily suffer on the pitch, scoring three goals in 14 games. But, with his return to the U.K. now complete, head coach Frank Yallop says Maloney will be missed in the Chicago midfield.
"I didn't want to lose the player," Yallop told reporters. "Maybe he didn't quite get the numbers and didn't quite do this and that, but I tell you what, when Shaun was on the field for us, I thought we looked a good team. He'll be missed."
"(Maloney) came to me a few weeks ago (saying) he wants to move back to the U.K. to be near his family," Yallop added. "It doesn't need to be public what that is, but that's the reason I got."
With Maloney now sold, Yallop says he has a ready-made replacement in Harry Shipp. The player fancies himself as a central attacking midfielder rather than a winger.
"That's kind of more my natural position to be anywhere in the middle," Shipp explained Monday. "It's unfortunate not to have (Maloney) here, but I think he was someone that saw the game similar to me. It was fun to play with him, but for me, taking on greater responsibility is something that I've always wanted, and hopefully going forward I'm able to do that successfully."