Striker Graham Bayne is to be released by Dunfermline after he was unable to meet the club's timescale for recovering from a foot injury.Bayne has been out since December with plantar fasciitis and a new contract was contingent on him being able to prove his fitness by the end of July.
But the 30-year-old is still weeks or even months off recovery.
"Time has defeated me," he told Dunfermline's website. "To say I'm devastated is an understatement."
The former Inverness and Ross County forward had surgery to correct his injury and had returned to pre-season training when the original symptoms recurred.
"I have got to realise that it is not the end and pick it up again somewhere, at some point. It is just going to take its time and I just have to accept it," said Bayne.
"My injury is notoriously difficult to treat, every specialist that I have seen has said that. Sometimes it goes away in four weeks but sometimes it takes a couple of years.
"We have exhausted every avenue know on this injury; it is going to get better but unfortunately there is no quick fix.
"It is just a case of going out into the big bad world and finding myself a job.
"Hopefully, when it does get better I can get back into full-time football. I am never going to give up on trying to play football at some level but I will just have to wait and see how long this takes."
Dunfermline physio Gerry Docherty is confident Bayne will be able to continue his playing career.
"Whether it is a matter of weeks or months I am sure the will play football again," he said.
And manager Jim McIntryre added: "He is going to take longer to recover and the club just can't take any risks.
"He's such a nice guy and good to have around the place, and it goes without saying that we wish him all the best for his future."
Source: BBC Sport
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