Malcolm Christie, the Middlesbrough striker, will leave the club at the end of the season after a Riverside career that has been ruined by a prolonged series of injuries.

The 28-year-old will be released, along with youngster Danny Graham, at the end of his contract as the manager Gareth Southgate is unable to offer him the football he wants.

Christie has managed only 29 starts and 20 appearances as a substitute, scoring nine goals, since Steve McClaren signed him in January 2003. His chances have been severely limited by a catalogue of injuries, which includes two broken legs and a fractured foot.

Ironically, his contract is drawing to a close at a time when he is free from problems. Southgate said: "I have spoken with Malcolm and we both feel a change would be the right thing for him. I have not been able to give him the opportunities he has understandably wanted.

"Now that Malcolm is over his injury problems, it is important for him to be playing, but I feel he will have more of an opportunity to be first choice at another club. Malcolm is a good professional and a great lad to have around, so we wish him well wherever his future takes him.

"Boro fans should not forget his vital contribution to our first-ever silverware, when he scored our extra-time goal against Brighton [in the League Cup second round] when we might have fallen at the first hurdle."

Christie arrived on Teesside as part of the £3million deal which also brought defender Chris Riggott from Derby County. Then manager McClaren was confident he had landed a bargain as both had experience with England Under-21s.

However, while Riggott eventually established himself as Southgate's central defensive partner until the arrival of Jonathan Woodgate and Robert Huth last summer, Christie never had the chance to do the same. While he was in rehabilitation, the likes of Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ayegbeni Yakubu were drafted in to lead the attack.

Graham, 21, made only two senior starts for the club and 19 appearances as a substitute, scoring two goals, and has had loan spells with Derby, Leeds United and Carlisle. The departures have been announced only two days after Middlesbrough revealed that full-back Abel Xavier is also leaving.