and Felix Magath was placed in charge. Hangeland was reinstated to the team, and as a result, Sidwell lost the captaincy. There was no change in Fulham's fortunes, and after a 4–1 defeat away at Stoke City on 3 May 2014 their relegation to the Championship was confirmed. Following Fulham's relegation, Sidwell criticised his team's performance. On 23 May 2014 Sidwell was released by Fulham. Stoke City On 9 June 2014 Sidwell joined Stoke City on a two-year contract. Upon signing for Stoke, Sidwell stated – "There were two factors behind my decision to join Stoke – the first being the fact that it's a club that is really moving forward. I was really impressed with the football Stoke played last season; the way they played against Fulham on the penultimate weekend of the season really had a wow factor about it and it led to a first ever top 10 finish in the Premier League. Then there's the manager (Mark Hughes) because he's a man that I have the highest regard for. He signed me for Fulham and I really enjoyed the time I worked with him there". He made his debut for Stoke on 24 August 2014 in a 1–1 draw away at Hull City. After making just one start in his first two months with the club Sidwell admitted that competition for places is stronger than he anticipated. On 1 December 2014, Sidwell tore a knee ligament against Liverpool which ruled him out for a proportion of the season. He made 16 appearances for Stoke in the 2014–15 season, ten of which were as a substitute. Sidwell admitted that he had been disappointed by his lack of game time. He was released by Stoke at the end of the 2015–16 season. Brighton & Hove Albion On 25 January 2016 Sidwell joined Brighton & Hove Albion on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season. Sidwell played 18 times for the Seagulls scoring once as they finished in 3rd position, losing out to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs. Following his release by Stoke, Sidwell signed a one-year contract with Brighton. On 5 November 2016, Sidwell scored from 50 yards in a 2–0 win against Bristol City. He was a big part of Brighton's success to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. Sidwell missed the whole of the 2017–18 season due to back and ankle injuries. Retirement Sidwell