St Johnstone: Chris Millar & Keith Watson to leave club this summer

Chris Millar has made more than 300 appearances for St Johnstone

Long-serving midfielder Chris Millar and experienced defender Keith Watson will leave St Johnstone this summer, the club have announced.

Millar, 35, has been with Saints since leaving Greenock Morton in 2008 and helped the Perth side win promotion in 2009 and the Scottish Cup in 2014.

Watson, 28, will leave McDiarmid Park two years on from joining Saints.

"Chris is obviously the most notable of those being released," said St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright.

"[He] has made a huge contribution to the club's success over the past decade, not least the Scottish Cup success in 2014, top-six league positions and European campaigns.

"Like Alan Mannus and Steven MacLean, [Chris Millar] has given me everything as a player and will always be well thought of and welcome back to McDiarmid Park.

"We've also decided not to renew the contract of Keith Watson, who has been so unlucky with injury in his two years here and that's the main reason he hasn't made the impact we all hoped, although I think anyone who saw him in his half-dozen starts would understand why we were keen to secure his services."

Former Hibernian and Dundee United player Watson had a loan spell at Hartlepool last term

Goalkeeper Mannus will join former club Shamrock Rovers while forward MacLean has agreed to move to Saints' Premiership rivals Hearts.

Youth players Daniel Jardine, Cammy Thomson, Cameron Lumsden and Jamie Docherty will also leave St Johnstone.

"It's never easy to tell the young players they're not being offered contracts but what we've done is in the best interests of both the club and the players," added Wright.

"We wish all of them every success in their future careers in the game."