Shane Sutherland has blasted Inverness Caledonian Thistle for allegedly releasing him via email.

The striker has taken to social media to claim that he was let go by the club without any face-to-face conversation.

The striker has been out injured for a year and has taken to Twitter to lay bare all of his claims.

He's accused the Championship side of telling him that it would be cheaper for him to retire. 

He also claimed that the club's physio didn't contact him for weeks while he waited on a race to help fix his injury problems.

Another claim made was that his family had to help cover some of the medical bills for his treatment, after suffering an ACL injury last year while playing Arbroath in the play-offs.

He didn't feature at all this season after suffering from a serious injury, meaning he missed the run to the Scottish Cup final for the club.

It was the player's second spell at the Highland club.

And while the 32-year-old admits it was unlikely he was going to be offered a new deal, he is angry and upset by the way he's been treated upon his release.

He tweeted: "Nine years between two different spells at ICT has come to an end today, that’s football I’ve not played in a year so in terms of the contract not being extended as they say that’s life, but to find out via an email after such a difficult year with the injury wasn’t a nice read.

“Especially when the injury is still ongoing and I had been waiting five weeks for a brace to try and help get to the bottom of the issue. Suppose not hearing from the physio about it in three/four weeks and hearing it would be 'cheaper if I didn’t play again' and a Zoom call with a guy who had never met me or seen a scan when telling me 'I would need to think about retiring' that I was never ever going to get the support I needed to get back on the pitch.

“Luckily enough I’ve had the support of teammates constantly throughout the season and can’t thank them enough and wish everyone of them all the best where they play next season and the rest of their career.

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“Finally I see light at the end of the tunnel with the support of my family helping me pay for what I need I’ve been to bale to reach out to a specialist who is confident he will have me back playing asap with the right rehab program this time after minor surgery on Wednesday.

“The hard work starts again now to get back to doing what I ain’t ready to give up cause it would be ‘cheaper’. I’ll make sure I have the right people I trust this time to get me back on the pitch in the best possible condition in the right way.

“Rubbish way to end the last three years at ICT, it was a no-brainer to come back when I had the opportunity and to see my son run about with Sutherland 11 on the back of his football shirt, to win players player of the year and make it over 150 for the club all things that I’m proud of and I’ll be able to look back after the disappointment of things settles and sit down and know I had given everything I could whilst I was on the pitch and trying to get back on the pitch which I now know I will get back on the grass scoring a few more goals yet.”

The club has hit back though, defending itself by dismissing such allegations. 

A statement reads: "Telling a player that no new contract is going to be offered is always a difficult conversation but it is always that, a conversation.

"British employment law does not allow our club, or any other for that matter, to do anything outside of UK employment law.

"If an employee, in this case a player, has been at the club/business for 2 years or more, no matter if they have a fixed 2 year or more contract or not, a strict process must now be followed by law and all 42 SPFL clubs must now follow that process or risk virtually open and shut unfair dismissal cases against them.

"If a club does not intend to offer a player in such circumstances a new contract, then in the first instance, a player is sent an email and/or a letter inviting them to attend a formal meeting at the club to discuss their contractual situation. Every club has an SPFL template letter which must be sent out in relation to this meeting and it has to state what the meeting is about. The player can bring a witness or a union representative to the meeting.

"Sadly, what happened re one of our players has been completely misrepresented by the player on social media.Or clearly having any knowledge at all of UK employment law.

"Contrary to what has been said or reported, following the above process, the club spoke to Shane Sutherland face to face at a proper formal meeting at the stadium and sadly had to inform him that no new contract would be offered for a number of football reasons. He then had the opportunity to appeal that decision, like every player has at all 42 SPFL clubs, if they have been there for 2 years or more. He did not appeal that decision.

"What then has to happen by law is that the decision is both emailed and sent out in a letter to the player.

"Again, we strictly follow the law and use the template letters supplied to us by the SPFL. Most clubs were unaware of this fairly recent UK employment law development but these are the facts of what happened in this case and it is unfortunate that so many people wrongly criticise the club without knowing those facts.

"The rest of his posts are like his initial post, a complete misrepresentation of the facts and in some cases completely untrue. The club, our brilliant medical team and three of the most renowned practicing knee specialists in Europe have been involved with the club this season and no expense or time has been spared. This club now does the right thing and follows correct processes at all times both on and off the field and we take great pride in that.

"It is sad when a player cannot or does not accept the reality of due process or of football life but it doesn’t change the facts. It is never pleasant to have to tell anyone that they are no longer going to be working with you but that decision and the subsequent legal process should not be unfairly represented and criticised.

"We should not have to publish the above but it is only right that people know the truth.

"Shane was a valued part of our squad and was treated as such, as disappointed as we are with his interpretation of the facts, we wish him well in his future career wherever that takes him."