The Huddersfield Giants have agreed to release Kevin Brown from the remainder of his contract after injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The 27-year-old has been playing with an ankle injury and it has now been decided the ex-Wigan Warriors man will undergo surgery in order to rectify the problem.
With Brown having already signed a five-year contract with the Widnes Vikings from the 2013 campaign, Huddersfield have allowed him leave early.
In all Brown made 172 appearances for the West Yorkshire club, scoring 51 tries and managing director Richard Thewlis has thanked the playmaker for his service to the club.
"Kevin has been soldiering on with an ankle problem which our physio always said would need surgery at some point," Thewlis told the club's official website.
"The time has now come whereby he is unable to play thus surgery at the earliest point has been done ruling him out of contention for our remaining games.
"Given that he will join the Widnes club we have agreed an early termination of contract with him but with us operating on him now fully expect that he will be fit and ready to report for their pre-season campaign in early November."
Brown was a key figure under ex-coach Nathan Brown and he is saddened he was unable to finish his career at Huddersfield on a high note.
"I have enjoyed my time at the Giants and am sorry that I won't be able to finish as I wanted but the injury has got to the stage where it needed fixing up," commented Brown.
"I really hope that the boys can have a strong end to the year and I look forward now to getting ready for the next chapter in my career which will be at Widnes."