Convicted rapist Ched Evans’ expected return to football with Oldham Athletic is off, according to reports.
An Oldham director was quoted saying the deal is off due to “enormous pressure from sponsors and threats to staff and their families.”
It comes just a day after Oldham’s joint owner Simon Corney said there was an "80 per cent" chance of the 26-year-old Chester City FC youth player being signed.
Evans was released from prison last October, halfway through a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel in Rhyl, North Wales, and since then any potential move has come under intense scrutiny.
A return to Sheffield United, the club Evans represented when he was convicted, was ruled out with Oldham initially entering discussions with the 26-year-old despite the withdrawal of at least one sponsor.
Corney said on Wednesday that there was an "80 per cent" chance of Evans being signed by the League One side with the signing expected to be announced today.
Corney added that three unnamed Premier League club managers had contacted him to offer their support, and that he respected the views of those who thought Evans should not be allowed back into professional football.
Ched Evans has now issued a "wholehearted apology" via the Professional Footballers' Association.
He said: "I am grateful for the support of the PFA in helping me try to return to football and continue my career.
"Upon legal advice, I was told not to discuss the events in question. This silence has been misinterpreted as arrogance and I would like to state that this could not be further from the truth.
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and whilst I continue to maintain my innocence, I wish to make it clear that I wholeheartedly apologise for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned.
"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine. I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so.”
No official statement has yet come from Oldham Athletic FC.
