FOOTBALLER Ched Evans will make a "very personal and profound statement" next week following his release from jail after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel.
The 25-year-old Welsh international left Wymott Prison, near Leyland, Lancashire, in a silver Mercedes just before 5am yesterday.
A statement on his website said: "Ched is now adjusting to normal life after serving a sentence for a crime consistently denied. Ched would like to thank, prior to the video statement, the thousands of people who have supported him and believe in him."
Evans was jailed in April 2012 for raping the woman in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales. His release will pile more pressure on his former club Sheffield United to say whether he will be allowed to play for them again.
Almost 150,000 people have signed an online petition urging the club not to welcome him back.
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