Sunderland fires Adam Johnson after guilty pleas in sex case

Adidas ended its sponsorship deal with Johnson later in the day, before Sunderland announced the decision to terminate the 28-year-old’s contract, which was due to run until the end of the season.

His trial at Bradford Crown Court on two further counts of sexual activity begins on this morning.

‘The club will make no further comment’.

The footballer was the “success story that young people can only dream of”, said Ms Blackwell.

Miss Blackwell said: “Her (the girl’s) real passion was Sunderland Football Club”.

The girl allegedly text Johnson after the 15-minute meeting to thank him for giving her a signed shirt, to which he replied: “No problem, you owe me lol”.

Miss Blackwell said the girl was a passionate Sunderland fan and Johnson was her favourite player. He was her absolute hero. He knew how much she idolised him.

When discussing New Year’s Eve plans on December 31 last year, the teenager told him she was going to a family party, the court heard.

Johnson and the girl, who had only just turned 15 at the time of the alleged offences in 2015, continued to share messages after their encounter, the court heard.

The footballer made repeated requests for her to delete the contact between them, the prosecution allege.

The jury were told she initially did not believe it was him.

Blackwell told the jury the pair kissed “for some time during which the defendant unbuttoned her jeans and undid the zip”.

He said: “Obviously, he’s not played for a long time and if he has got any sort of quality left that he had and showed at Arsenal, then he may later down the line be able to secure a short-term contract with us”.

He is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a teenage schoolgirl.

In defiance, she posted a photo of herself on holiday in Ibiza and one of her friends said: “She is 100% behind Adam and this picture proves that”.

Had he made that admission at the outset when the case was heard at Durham Crown Court in June, the club would surely have acted.

The pair went on to exchange messages on Whatsapp which the player asked her to delete but she did not.

He continues to deny two charges of sexual activity with a girl aged under 16.

The winger has denied two charges of sexual activity with the girl, admitting to one charge of grooming and one of sexual activity with the girl.