Former Birmingham and Millwall midfielder joins Bristol Rovers after leaving Hull City.
Manager Liam Rosenior informed the 29-year-old at the start of August that he was no longer in the club’s plans and might leave East Yorkshire.
The former Birmingham City, Millwall, Stoke City, and Brentford midfielder, who joined Blues on a three-year deal last summer, did participate in pre-season but was left out of the Tigers’ last friendly against Nantes.
Woods, 29, was used sparingly in the last third of the season, with his last City appearance coming in a 3-1 defeat at Norwich City in mid-February.
The decision was made to allow him to leave, with the club also mindful of Financial Fair Play requirements, while also giving themselves room to manoeuvre to bring in more signings before the deadline.
Rosenior explained his decision, saying, “That’s my decision (on Woods).”
“I’ll also put this on record. He’s a great player and a great young man, but he’s simply not the right type for us right now in terms of midfield possibilities.
“I’m always honest with the players.” I felt it was important to offer Ryan that clarity in order to give him the chance. There are four weeks left in the transfer window for you to choose another team.
“Ryan is a very good technical player; there is no falling out, no problem; I just see a different future for us moving forward.”
