Sammy Ameobi and Michael Dawson among Nottingham Forest summer exits
- Published
Michael Dawson (left) was a Forest favourite for his efforts in his first spell before joining Spurs
Nottingham Forest defenders Michael Dawson and Yuri Ribeiro, winger Sammy Ameobi and midfielder Samba Sow have left the Championship club at the end of their contracts.
Defender Michael Hefele and goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo have also departed as the Reds confirmed their retained list.
Dawson, a homegrown player, made 118 appearances across two spells.
Ameobi, Sow and Ribeiro played 76 games between them last season, as Forest finished 17th.
They amassed 180 matches in total for the Reds.
Loan players Cyrus Christie, Luke Freeman, James Garner, Anthony Knockaert and Filip Krovinovic have all returned to their parent clubs while Glenn Murray announced his retirement on Monday.
Dawson's second spell at Forest ended without a chance to say goodbye to supporters amid Covid-19 restrictions, which the Northallerton-born centre-half said was "frustrating".
However, his performances in his first spell, in particular as part of Paul Hart's promotion-chasing team of 2002-03, ensured his place in club folklore.
He and midfielder Andy Reid were eventually signed by Tottenham for a combined £8m, external in January 2005.
"Forest has been a massive part of my life since I first put the shirt on at the age of nine," he said.
"It will always be close to my heart and I leave with some fantastic memories. To start as a schoolboy, get in the first team under Paul Hart and then be able to come back later in my career has been a dream come true."