Ashbee makes transfer request
Hull City manager Nigel Pearson has revealed Ian Ashbee handed in a transfer request on Friday before the weekend draw with Queens Park Rangers.
The Tigers club captain has been linked with a move to Preston where he would be reunited with former boss Phil Brown, and after the 0-0 draw at the KC Stadium Pearson confirmed the midfielder's desire to leave.
Ashbee, 34, was left out of Hull's squad against the Hoops and Pearson admitted his disappointment with the servant of nine years.
"I'll give you the facts as they are," he said. "Yesterday he came in and before training, told me a club had offered him a contract - make of that what you will.
"In the afternoon, we had a written transfer request. Apart from that, I'm not making any more statements on that situation.
"Those are the facts as they are. I'll see how that one develops.
"The biggest thing for me, what I'm disappointed about, is the timing - on a Friday morning when you're preparing for the game, I'm disappointed.
"Having said that, it's something that happens in football. The club have received a written transfer request from the player. Full stop."
Hull managed to hold Championship leaders QPR to a goalless stalemate and Pearson believed his side could have even earned three points.
He added: "I was pleased with our discipline and I thought we worked very hard as a team. As the game wore on, we were more likely to nick it."
Matty Fryatt and Ishmael Miller were guilty of missed chances during a scrappy affair, with Fryatt squandering opportunities late on.
Hoops reaction
However, Rangers boss Neil Warnock claimed his side did enough to warrant a win and he criticised Hull's tactics
He said: "I'm disappointed and frustrated. I think you've got to say you're happy when they have a clear chance like they had at the end.
"But, no, I'm really frustrated. I was surprised how Hull set the stall out - put the bus in front of the goal.
"I felt we dominated the game for 80 minutes. I just thought the last 10 minutes they had a little bit. We could have done a lot better in the last third. We didn't test the keeper enough."