Convicted paedophile Adam Johnson will never be able to play in the Premier League again, says a top football agent.
The former Sunderland star, who was raking in £60,000 a week before he plead guilty to grooming a teenage fan, will most likely have to move to Asia if he wants to pursue his football career once he is released from prison.
The agent, who has extensive experience of dealing with Premier League footballers, told Chroniclelive that no UK club will go anywhere near him.
Advert
Credit: PA
"The likelihood is he will never play top-level football again, not in the UK anyway," the agent told the paper.
"No club in the Premier League will touch him now.
"Sponsors are very wary, that's why no big-name clubs who rely on sponsorship will even look at him now."
The agent also explained that Johnson would be unable to play for teams in America or Australia, due to his conviction.
Former Sheffield United player Ched Evans struggled to get signed after getting out of prison for rape. The Welsh striker was eventually acquitted and ended up playing for league two team Chesterfield FC.
The agent told Chroniclelive: "Even lower league clubs will have to think of their female fans, and their reputations, a family friendly club can't take him on realistically."
Johnson's only hope of earning decent money again will be to move abroad, but there are plenty of countries where he won't be welcome.
"Thailand or Singapore would be his best bet," explained the agent.
"He should go there, keep his head down and earn decent money if he can. Playing for any team in the UK isn't going to be good for him, at any away game he is going to get grief, it won't be good for the team."
Credit: PA
Advert
Clare Phillipson from Wearside Women in Need is concerned that Johnson's return to football might be smoother than expected.
The charity boss told the paper: "We believe if someone has served their prison sentence and is genuinely remorseful they should be able to be rehabilitated and get on with their lives.
"I think there is a difference between being rehabilitated and being treated as a hero, which is what happens to footballers, they are role models. Are we really going to be expected to cheer him on?"
As Johnson will have to sign the sex offenders register, any club that signed him would have to ensure that he doesn't have any unsupervised contact with younger fans.
"There'll be no family fun days or autograph signing for him," Phillipson added.
Johnson was jailed for five years in 2016, but could be released on license in a year's time.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Football