Ched Evans’ £100k football deal as he awaits rape retrial
FOOTBALLER Ched Evans is to resume his playing career after signing a £2,000-a-week deal despite facing a retrial over rape charges.
The former Sheffield United striker has not played professionally for more than four years, with attempts to find a new club following his release from prison in 2014 abandoned in the face of a fierce backlash.
But after April’s decision by the Court of Appeal to quash his 2012 conviction for raping a 19-year-old woman during a night out, League One club Chesterfield yesterday announced that Evans had signed a 12-month contract.
The 27-year-old Welshman is due to stand trial again on the rape allegations at Cardiff Crown Court in October.
Chesterfield – who are in the third tier of English football – said after ‘a great deal of thought’ it had concluded he should be able to return to playing ahead of the trial.
Previous attempts by clubs to sign Evans have failed, with Oldham Athletic pulling out last year following pressure from sponsors.
And an invitation to Evans to use Sheffield United’s training facilities was rescinded after more than 150,000 people signed a petition opposing it. Sheffieldborn Olympic champion Jessica EnnisHill asked for her name to be removed from a stand at their Bramall Lane stadium if Evans re-signed for the club, while three club patrons stood down.
However Chesterfield – whose manager Danny Wilson worked with Evans when both were at Sheffield United – insisted the quashing of his conviction meant he should be allowed to play again.
Club chairman Dave Allen said: We are delighted to have secured the services of an outstanding footballer, who is now keen to get back to work and score goals.
‘We have given a great deal of thought to this signing and, following the court’s decision, we are in no doubt that Ched Evans should be welcomed back into his profession as a professional footballer.’
In a statement, Evans – who previously played for Manchester City – said: ‘I am very excited to be resuming my career at Chesterfield and I hope to make a valuable contribution both on and off the pitch for the club, the fans and the community.’
Evans was jailed for five years in 2012 for raping a teenager at a Premier Inn in Rhyl, North Wales. The striker, who has played 13 times for Wales, admitted having sex but denied rape. The woman said she had no memory of the incident and prosecutors said she was too drunk to consent.
After a ten-month investigation the Criminal Cases Review Commission last year said it had found information not raised at his original trial which ‘might have assisted the defence’. The ruling by the Court of Appeal means Evans is no longer on the sex offenders register.