Everton defender David Unsworth has put his future at the club in jeopardy by rejecting a new contract.
Unsworth, who made his debut for the Toffeemen in 1992 and since then has played more than 300 times, was asked to take a pay cut for his new deal but he turned down Goodison officials.
His current deal expires at the end of the season and with Everton chief executive Michael Dunford stressing this is the only offer they will make Unsworth has placed himself in a tricky position.
"We have made David a fair offer which he has rejected for now," Dunford told the Liverpool Echo. There will not be another offer from Everton.
"It does entail a pay cut, but that policy is pretty general throughout football now.
"More realism is coming into the game and unless you are a megastar, and with all due respect to David he is not in that category, that's the way the game has to go."