South Korea's Ki leaves Swansea City after relegation

Swansea were relegated to the Championship (second-tier) after a 2-1 defeat by Stoke City on Sunday, bringing an end to their seven-season stay in the English top-flight.

(Reuters)

"It was a great privilege to play for Swansea for five years," Ki said in a post on Instagram. "(I) Just want to say thanks to all Swansea fans who always gave passionate support to us every single game."

The 29-year-old apologised to the club's fans for the team's inconsistent performances over the past two seasons, and backed Swansea to "come back stronger" from being relegated.

Ki joined Swansea from Scottish side Celtic in 2012, making 160 appearances for the club in all competitions and scoring 12 goals.

His exit follows those of midfielder Leon Britton and defender Angel Rangel, who both announced they would leave the club earlier this month.

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)