Sam Hutchinson hopes to return to the south of England after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
Hutchinson, who hails from Slough and came through the academy at Chelsea, became a free agent after his Wednesday contract expired at the end of June.
The central defender turned defensive midfielder last appeared for the Owls in January and told BBC Radio Sheffield that he was made to train with the reserves shortly afterwards.
But despite being aware that his future beyond the end of this season would lie away from Hillsborough, Hutchinson insists there is nothing in the pipeline regarding his next club – though there has been interest, including from America’s Major League Soccer.
“No,” said the 30-year-old when asked by BBC Radio Sheffield if he was already ‘fixed up’. “To be fair, I knew what was coming. There were a couple of things in the pipeline but with the Covid, no-one knows. No one knows budgets, no one knows positions, no one knows anything.
“My agent tried to get me to the MLS but, if I’m honest, I wouldn’t go any further north than Sheffield than I already have and my kids are six, five and nearly two, and they just want to be down south with their cousins.
“So, hopefully I can get a club down south – there’s been a bit of contact. But I’m in a good position, as well. I’m a free agent, I don’t have to worry about the money side of it. I just want to play football and enjoy it like I did under Carlos (Carvalhal) and Steve Bruce, and obviously Stuart Gray when he first brought me in.”
Hutchinson, who was also frozen out by Garry Monk’s but-one predecessor Jos Luhukay at Sheffield Wednesday, played 154 times in six years in the Steel City and was named as captain on several occasions.
Along with the boyhood Chelsea supporter, Wednesday have also parted ways with long-serving players Fernando Forestieri, Steven Fletcher, Morgan Fox and Sam Winnall this week.
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