Breen on the list as relegated Hammers release 10 players

RELEGATED West Ham announced yesterday that they are releasing 10 senior players, including Paolo di Canio, Lee Bowyer, Gary Breen and Nigel Winterburn.

But the Hammers, who dropped out of the Premiership on the final day of the season, have made an offer to Les Ferdinand one of four players whose contracts had expired The 10 players being released are: di Canio, Bowyer, Gary Breen, Eduoard Cisse, Clive Delaney, Izzie Iriekpen, Scott Minto, John Moncur, Raimond van der Gouw, and Nigel Winterburn.

But the Hammers want to keep Ferdinand, who scored two goals in 14 games after signing from Tottenham in January, and three other players Scottish U21 midfielder David Noble, Irish youth international midfielder Daryl McMahon and England U21 keeper Steve Bywater.

Di Canio started 116 Premiership games for the Hammers, and made two substitute appearances to end the season, scoring in each of them.

He scored 47 league goals in that time, and a further two in 12 cup games most of them spectacular.

Bowyer, whose time at Upton Park was hampered by an ankle injury, made 11 starts for the club, after signing from Leeds and his contract is up in the summer.

Winterburn, signed three seasons ago from Arsenal for £250,000, made 89 appearances and four as substitute, scoring a single goal.

He was set to leave last summer, but a change of heart by Glenn Roeder and a pay cut by the player saw him extend his stay. He saw off the competition of Scott Minto and Vladimir Labant but shortly after Rufus Brevett arrived he had to have a wrist operation and after that Rufus retained his place until the end of the season.

Moncur made seven substitute appearances this season, with a career total of 151 starts and 46 substitute appearances and nine goals.

Breen made 13 starts for the club, with six consecutive starts from the West Brom through to the Birmingham home defeats, and six more on the trot from the Blackburn Rovers draw away to the 6-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Goalkeeper Van der Gouw arrived from Manchester United, and, although he never started a first team match, his attitude and commitment in reserve matches was continually praised by Roeder as being a contributing factor in helping the youngsters develop.

Scott Minto, who arrived from Portuguese side Benfica in early 1999 for £1m, made 48 starts and seven substitute appearances and Cisse had completed a loan spell from Paris SG and made 21 starts overall, with no goals.

Steve Bruce has agreed a new five-year deal with Birmingham after keeping the club in the Premiership.

City chairman David Gold announced the agreement last night and could barely contain his delight and securing Bruce's services for the long term.

Bruce arrived at St Andrews midway through last season and guided Birmingham to promotion back to the top flight through the play-offs and then masterminded their survival there this campaign.

Leeds United have offered a new one-year contract to 19-year-old Australian centre-half Shane Cansdell- Sherriff.