Former Scotland striker David Goodwillie has had his contract with Australian team Sorrento FC rescinded – hours after his deal was announced.
The club posted on social media, describing him as a player of “real quality and experience” but then deleted the message following criticism.
Goodwillie was ruled to be a rapist in a civil case in 2017, six years after being initially charged. No criminal proceedings were instructed against Goodwillie, but he was ordered to pay £100,000 in damages by a judge after it was ruled he raped a woman in a flat in West Lothian in 2011.
Image: Goodwillie previously left Raith Rovers eight months after signing and never made an appearance for the club
“Sorrento Football Club has rescinded its contract with David Goodwillie,” the club said in a statement.
“David was scheduled to arrive in Perth within the next week to commence playing with the club for the remainder of the 2023 NPLM season.
“The arrangement was non-commercial in nature.
“The club has informed David of its decision and apologises to anyone in our football and broader community that may have been caused offence by his signing.”
Image: Goodwillie also had his spell at Clyde cut short after criticism
In February this year he left Northern Premier League side Radcliffe FC – just 24 hours after his debut – with the club saying they made a “significant misstep” in signing the forward.
The previous year, Goodwillie left Raith Rovers in September 2022, eight months after initially signing and having not made a single appearance for the Kirkcaldy club. It was after ferocious backlash from club sponsor Val McDermid, fans, Rape Crisis Scotland and Scotland’s First Minister at the time, Nicola Sturgeon.
His arrival at Stark’s Park also prompted a raft of resignations among board members and club volunteers, while the club’s women’s side opted to rebrand under a different name, while his loan move to Clyde last year was also terminated after widespread backlash.
Goodwillie has three Scotland caps and had also played for the likes of Blackburn in the Premier League, Crystal Palace, Aberdeen and Dundee United.
Sourse: skysports.com
