Star striker ‘could have any girl...’

Sheffield United and Wales striker Ched Evans

Evans was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in 2011.

Though sentenced to five years in jail, he was released after two and a half years in October 2014.

Fellow footballer Clayton McDonald was cleared of rape during the same trial.

Both players denied raping the girl at a Premier Inn near Rhyl, maintaining their admitted relations with the woman had been consensual.

The court heard how Evans had invited McDonald and others for a bank holiday night out in the seaside town on May 29.

Because there wasn’t enough space at Evans’ mother’s house, he booked McDonald into the hotel.

McDonald met the woman, who had been drinking, and took her back to the hotel room, sending a text to Evans saying he had “got a bird”.

Evans told the court he had gone to the hotel, let himself in to Mr McDonald’s room and watched his friend and the woman having sex. It was claimed McDonald asked if his friend could “get involved”, to which the woman said yes.

McDonald then left the hotel room and Evans left shortly before 5am.

Evans also claimed that, as footballers, the pair “could have any girl they wanted” in a nightclub.

During the trial, the jury saw video interviews in which the woman said she couldn’t remember what happened and feared her drinks were spiked.

A jury cleared McDonald of rape but found Evans guilty. Evans has always maintained his innocence and has attempted to overturn his conviction.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is currently looking into the case