EFL club release team’s most creative player immediately after promotion

Cambridge United have announced that their leading assister from their promotion-winning campaign won’t be handed a new deal.

James Brophy, who joined the U’s in 2021, is joint top for goal contributions at the club since Neil Harris returned last year.

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The 31-year-old was named Cambridge’s player of the season during their last season in League One in 2024/25.

This season, he is second to only Bromley‘s Mitchell Pinnock for most big chances created across the entirety of League Two.

His tally of 19 was only four fewer than the Ravens’ No.11, despite playing 1,204 minutes less and starting 10 fewer games than him.

Brophy’s average of two chances created per 90 minutes in League Two were also by far the most across Cambridge’s squad.

His five goals and 10 assists had him joint top for goal contributions across all competitions this season, with 11 coming in the league.

Brophy’s 15 in total have him level with ex-Manchester City starlet Ben Knight, who has 11 goals, four coming via the penalty spot, and three assists.

Promoted EFL club release their joint leading goal contributor

The former Leyton Orient star had only failed to feature in one of Cambridge’s matches across four competitions since the start of the season until he fractured his metacarpal against another of his former clubs, Swindon Town, in a 1-1 draw last month.

He didn’t miss a single matchday squad through injury and played through the pain barrier for the U’s last four games.

However, Cambridge have now confirmed four days after their goalless draw at Crewe that secured promotion back to League One that his contract won’t be getting extended.

Brophy arrived at the Abbey Stadium upon the club’s arrival in the third tier in 2021 as a free transfer from Leyton Orient.

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Having been part of Cambridge’s famous FA Cup third-round victory away at Newcastle in his first season, the Londoner penned fresh 24-month terms during the summer of 2024.

Often played out of position at centre-midfield during Garry Monk’s reign, Brophy was restored out wide following Harris’ return as Cambridge manager in February 2025.

He instantly registered back-to-back assists in the former Millwall head coach’s first two matches en route to a run of scoring three goals and laying on four others in 12 League One matches.

Brophy scooped the club’s player of the season award but was unable to stop the team suffering relegation in the penultimate game.

This campaign, he was directly involved in four of Cambridge’s eight picks for their goal of the season, either from his assists or scoring himself.

Speaking after helping the U’s secure promotion Saturday, Brophy said: “It’s unbelievable.

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“Five years ago, when the club got into League One, it felt a bit David versus Goliath, and it comes full circle.

“It’s an amazing group of people.

“It didn’t feel like we’d be able to do this in the space of 12 months in terms of the team that got relegated, being able to regroup and go again.

“It’s an amazing experience, and I think the club is so much better off on and off the field. And we’re ready to be back in League One.

“We had the better chances to win it, but we didn’t take them. That’s sort of been the story of the season and probably why it’s gone down to the last game. But flip it, it’s a team that always does what it needs to do to get over the line.”