Alexey Smertin has left Fulham after the club agreed to mutually terminate his contract.
The Russian midfielder had been thought to be close to joining Cardiff City on loan, but the 33 year-old rejected the chance to join up with Eddie Johnson in Wales. Smertin, who has formerly played for Chelsea and Portsmouth in this country, made 22 appearances for Fulham after signing on a free transfer last January having been released by Dynamo Moscow. He struggled for game time under Roy Hodgson and is thought to be considering a return to Russia.
