Evans Sentenced To 5 Years

The big news to come out of the world of English football today was that 23 year old Sheffield United and Wales striker Ched Evans had been sentenced to 5 years in jail for raping a 19 year old woman in May 2011. Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, also 23, had been accused of the same offence but was found not guilty - it's not likely he will play tomorrow against Rovers I wouldn't have thought.

Anyway, the news has got me thinking about young footballers today and just what goes on outside of their careers. Both players involved will have lead a relatively luxurious life so far having progressed from the Manchester City youth team, and although McDonald will be on a smaller wage at Vale compared to the big money Evans will have been receiving at United, they'll be used to getting what they want. Perhaps this had an impact?

Ched Evans

Footballers are known to have a lot of free time away from the training ground. Some pros dedicate their time to additional strength and fitness work or honing their skills with team-mates and others choose to socialise with friends. The players that are committed to their career and realise how privileged they are to be footballers tend to take the first option in an attempt to become the best player they can possibly be. This is what the majority of players in the Premier League will have done to reach that level. Those who don't maybe don't realise that they are a fine line away from throwing their career away.

Don't get me wrong, all players need a rest and time to relax with their mates. But that's what the summer break is for surely? 4-6 weeks of holidaying and enjoying everything you've not necessarily been able to over the course of the previous 10 months. Whether alcohol falls in to that category or not is another topic of debate. A lot of modern day players, certainly in the lower leagues, don't hide the fact they like to go out for a drink (or more) on a weekend after a game on a Saturday. That's their choice and as long as they don't become embroiled in illegal activity, there's nothing much that can be done to stop them. It can seriously affect their performance on the pitch though, something James Milner of Man City realises. His attitude is superb and shows he is determined to stay at the highest level for as long as possible. He doesn't drink alcohol now as he recognises he'll have 40 or so years to do that once he retires. I won't talk about my feelings on alcohol too much now, I'll leave it for another time, but it did play a part in the fact Evans and McDonald wound up in court in the first place.

Both players went on a night out in Wales and ended up as suspects of rape. One has walked away a free man, the other sent down for 5 years. A talented player throwing away his career after becoming absorbed by the byproducts of being a footballer. Evans will have become accustomed to attention from women. He's got a lot of money and is clearly not a bad looking chap. In certain cases you can be forgiven for feeling a little sorry for players accused of rape. Not all the 'victims' will be totally innocent and you can see why players may get the wrong idea. On this occasion though, it was something Evans himself chased and has been punished for.

It smacks to me that some players just don't foresee that they are not untouchable. Footballers are not invincible. They follow the same laws as we do and need to take responsibility for themselves. This incident, however unfairly, will tarnish the reputations of both Sheffield United and Port Vale and not just the players involved. McDonald was found not guilty but people will be wary that he has been involved with an incident as sensitive as this. For that reason, he may find it difficult to find another club if heeds to in the future, as chairmen and managers will decide they don't want the publicity of a player who likes to make himself seen off the pitch. He'll have to live with that. Evans will likely appeal his decision but for the time being will have to get used to life at Her Majesty's pleasure.

These people are role models. They not only represent themselves but they represent their football clubs too, which is why it can be a gamble for certain managers to sign players who have been linked to incidents such as this. Thousands of young people look up to them and can only dream of having the life they lead. Evans will have been idolised by United supporters for his goalscoring exploits this season as they hope to get promoted back to the Championship at the first attempt. They'll look at him now and their opinions will change. He's let his employers down having damaged their promotion bid. Who wants to be associated with a player found guilty of rape? Despite the wicked ways of the world, nobody can take blame except the players themselves. They shoulder all responsibility and now must pay the price for it. You look at it and hope the horrors of this incident will prove a deterrent for other players to become involved in such trouble, but this isn't the first time this has happened. Today's culture boasts a tempting life for those who can afford to splash out and I'm in no doubt that some of today's footballers will not learn from the example set by Evans and McDonald. It's a pity they feel immune to trouble and let their status blur their decision-making.

I'm not sure if I've made much sense here to be honest. I probably haven't. I just felt the need to address this situation myself and offer some thoughts. A footballer can have all the talent in the world, but if they don't have the maturity to take responsibility for themselves, they are just an incident away from ruining their careers.