A FOOTBALLER has been told to set aside £100,000 ahead of a damages hearing brought by a woman who claims he raped her.

A judge agreed to recall a previous legal measure granted against David Goodwillie on condition that the money is held on account or, failing that, consigned to court.

The former Dundee United and Aberdeen striker, who now plays for Plymouth Argyle, currently has his home in Scotland up for sale.

A 30-year-old woman has raised a £500,000 claim against Mr Goodwillie and another player, David Robertson, alleging that they raped her in January 2011.

Both men deny the allegation.

At the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Woolman was told that lawyers acting for the woman now value her claim at about £250,000.

Barry Divers, counsel for the woman, argued that if Mr Goodwillie’s house was sold without an inhibition in place there was a real possibility that assets would be removed from the jurisdiction.

Lawyers acting for Mr Goodwillie, 27, said that, although he hopes to sell the Scottish property, this does not present a real and substantial risk to her claim being prejudiced if she succeeded.

Jonathan Nisbet, representing Mr Goodwillie, argued it would be appropriate for a warrant for arrestment and inhibition previously granted to be recalled and maintained that “a substantial defence” had been put forward to the woman’s claim.

In the legal action, the woman said she had gone to a bar in Bathgate, West Lothian, and was introduced to the players before she later went to a club with a friend.

She maintains she was “visibly and obviously severely intoxicated” when she left and was offered a lift home in a taxi hailed by the footballers but they asked the driver to drop all three of them at a flat in nearby Armadale, where she claims she was raped.

The woman contends that she later woke up naked and alone and could not remember what had happened since being in the pub the previous evening.

The damages action states that “at the time when sexual intercourse took place with each defender, the pursuer was incapable because of the effect of alcohol of giving free agreement”.

It is also claimed that neither of the men had “a reasonable belief” that she was consenting to intercourse.

Mr Goodwillie accepts that he had sex with the woman but maintains that it was consensual.

Mr Robertson, who was not represented at the hearing, also accepts he had sex with the woman but he too maintains it was consensual.

Both men deny the woman was incapable.

Police were called in and the case was reported to the Crown Office but Mr Goodwillie was later advised that he would not be prosecuted for any offence.

The woman claims that, as a result of being raped, she suffered symptoms of depression, panic disorder, anxiety, eating disorder and maintains she was unable to continue with her then employment.

Mr Goodwillie, who has also played for Blackburn Rovers, has represented Scotland at youth level and received his first call-up for the senior side in 2010 for a friendly against the Faroe Islands.

He has three full international caps and scored his first senior goal for Scotland in a 3-1 defeat against Spain in 2011.