
Adam Johnson is preparing for life in prison this morning after a jury found him guilty of sexually touching a schoolgirl Sunderland fan he groomed online.

Judge Jonathan Rose left the disgraced footballer in little doubt about the punishment that awaits him when he returns to court in two weeks' time to be sentenced for grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.

The judge told him: 'You must understand that when you return here at the end of March you will receive a substantial prison sentence.'

Adam Johnson shook his head in the dock yesterday and gasps went up from the public gallery as he was found guilty of one charge and cleared on another.

Johnson's ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders, who backed him during the trial, showed no emotion as the verdicts were returned after the jury spent more than nine hours deliberating.

Johnson cuts a lonely figure in the back of his car yesterday as he waits to be driven to his £1.8million mansion. He faces jail for his crimes

Adam Johnson and his sister Faye leave court yesterday after the jury found him guilty of one of two counts of sexual activity with a child

Johnson's ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders leaves court yesterday. She gave evidence for his defence and said she believed him

Justifying giving him bail yesterday, the judge said: 'You can say goodbye to your daughter. A prison sentence will mean you will not see her for some time.'

The England winger had already admitted grooming the girl and kissing her as they sat in the front seats of his black Range Rover Sport on January 30 last year. He denied the 'passionate kiss' led to anything further.

Johnson's denial of the charge meant the young victim was put through two gruelling days of cross-examination last month, during which she regularly broke down in tears.

Johnson has been found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child and cleared of another count. He will also be sentenced for grooming and kissing the girl

In a emotional statement released after the verdicts, Johnson's young victim said the build-up to the trial has been 'the hardest year of my life'.

She said: 'I've had to face so much abuse after he claimed his innocence. I was made out to be a liar, if anything, I held things back because I didn't want all of this to come out.

'What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered.

'There are people out there who have made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. I have been unable to defend myself publicly.

'The gossip on social media and hearing all of the horrible names that people have been calling me has been devastating to me, my friends and my family... I've been in some very dark places.'

After the jury gave their verdicts this afternoon, Judge Rose said his preliminary view was that the case falls into the category of a prison sentence between four and 10 years.

Johnson was bailed until he is sentenced in two to three weeks time. The judge ordered he be under a curfew from 7pm until 7am. Explaining his bail conditions, the judge said Johnson would be 'well advised to stay well away from social media'.

The former England winger's career now lies in tatters and his former club Sunderland face questions over why he continued playing for them for months after he had admitted grooming the girl in a police interview.

In a statement issued after the case, Sunderland FC said it 'refuted' any suggestion the club knew that Johnson was intending to plead guilty to two charges. The club also insisted it was not involved in tactical discussions about the timings of his pleas.

'Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges, then his employment would have been terminated immediately,' the statement said.

It was revealed after the trial that Johnson was scolded by the judge during his trial for 'discourteous behaviour' after he was seen joking with a security guard who sat next to him in the dock.

At the end of the second week of his trial, he was overheard saying to a friend: 'I hope this is finished by Friday. It's a bit boring now.'

The pair - who insist they have split since Johnson's arrest - have two weeks together before Johnson is expected to get a lengthy sentence

WHAT SENTENCE IS JOHNSON LIKELY TO GET? The offence of sexual activity with a child has a maximum sentence of 14 years. However, that is for the most serious type of offences involving very young children. Judge Jonathan Rose said that, in this case, his preliminary view was that the case falls into the category of between four and 10 years. The fact that Johnson did not plead guilty at the first opportunity will mean he is not entitled to an automatic reduction to his sentence. Advertisement

Speaking after the jury's verdicts - he was found guilty of touching the girl by majority verdict - Det Insp Aelfwynn Sampson, of Durham Constabulary, said: 'Adam Johnson was a Premiership footballer, an England International.

'He was living most schoolboys' dreams of playing professional football for his hometown club.

'However, Johnson exploited his position as a local hero to take advantage of a young and impressionable girl. This was not a case where he didn't know how old a girl was. From the start of their contact, he knew full well that she had just turned 15 and yet this did not stop him.

'The law is clear. The legal age of consent is set at 16 to protect young people. He no doubt thought that he would get away it, but this demonstrates that no one is above the law.

'We would like to thank the victim for her courage in coming forward and her family for supporting her through this incredibly difficult time over the 12 months it has taken to reach this conclusion.'

The trial heard the schoolgirl who Johnson groomed would wait outside Sunderland's stadium for him after matches and later befriended him on Facebook.

Johnson then sent her hundreds of messages on Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat, on which he created a secret account so his girlfriend, Stacey Flounders would not find out.

Following what the prosecution called 'grooming in its purest form', Johnson twice picked her up in his Range Rover in January last year.

The girl said Johnson put his hand down her trousers as they sat in the front seats of his Range Rover after meeting on January 30 2015

Johnson picked up the girl in his black Range Rover Sport in January 2015 after sending her messages. Police have released this image

On the first occasion he signed football shirts for her, but later sent her messages asking for a 'thank you kiss'.

The jury found yesterday that he sexually touched the girl on the second meeting. The trial heard he then dropped her off a sweet shop.

SUNDERLAND FC 'STRENUOUSLY' DENY KNOWING HE WAS GUILTY In a statement issued after the case, Sunderland FC said it 'refuted' any suggestion the club knew all along that Johnson was intending to change his plea just before his trial so he could continue to play for them, and that the club may have been involved in tactical discussions about the plea. The club said it was not advised in advance that Johnson would plead guilty to any offence. 'Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges, then his employment would have been terminated immediately,' the statement said. Advertisement

Police released photos of the Range Rover Sport in which Johnson picked up the girl and committed the crimes. The vehicle had blacked-out windows and a personalised number plate.

Arriving at court yesterday Johnson was again accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders, who has supported him during the trial and gave evidence for the defence, despite the couple having split up.

Yestderday was a year to the day since Johnson was arrested at his mansion in Castle Eden, County Durham. Miss Flounders opened the door on that day.

The trial heard that, after his meeting with the girl, he looked up 'legal age of consent' online. He denied this was in relation to his meetings with the girl.

His defence has claimed the girl was a 'proven liar' who made up the more serious allegations to 'save face' in front friends she had told about Johnson.

The prosecution said Johnson has admitted lesser offences in a bid to get off the more serious charges. They claimed he has 'lied and lied again' to police and during his trial.

Gerry Wareham, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East said: 'Adam Johnson knew that what he was doing was wrong and went to great lengths to hide it.

'He encouraged his young victim to delete any traces of their online contact and, when she reported what had happened to police, he initially claimed to be unaware of her true age and told police that he had only ever kissed her.

'While he eventually admitted to those charges for which there was overwhelming documentary evidence, he continued to deny the true extent of their sexual contact.'

Johnson is led away from court by a friend last night. His father Dave, who has attended every day of the trial, is seen in the background holding onto a television news reporter

Johnson sat with his head down in his car last night as he was driven back to his mansion. The judge said he can expect a prison sentence

Johnson was again accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders, who gave evidence for his defence, when he arrived yesterday

An NSPCC spokesman said Johnson's 'inexcusable' behaviour was made even worse by the fact he put his victim through the 'harrowing experience' of giving evidence.

The spokesman said: 'Adam Johnson cynically used his celebrity status as a professional footballer to groom and sexually abuse an impressionable schoolgirl.

'Even though he was fully aware of her age he continued the relationship without any concern for the profound and damaging impact it might have on her.

'We hope she gets the appropriate help to recover from this dreadful episode and Johnson takes the time to reflect on how his predatory actions have caused so much anguish.'

'I'VE BEEN IN SOME VERY DARK PLACES': FULL STATEMENT IN WHICH VICTIM DESCRIBES THE 'WORST YEAR OF HER LIFE' AS SHE WAS GROOMED FOR SEX BY JOHNSON THEN ABUSED BY TROLLS ONLINE FOR REPORTING HIM In a statement released through the police, the victim said: 'From the very beginning of all of this I always doubted that people would believe me. I was talking to Adam Johnson, it was surreal for me. He was my favourite football player for Sunderland, a club I was a massive supporter of. As a Sunderland fan I absolutely idolised Adam. The victim had to watch Johnson worshipped by football crowds while she was branded 'a liar, a slut and a slag' He was my hero. I attended the home games whenever I could. It was something I looked forward to.When Adam messaged me I was in shock and disbelief. I didn't even believe it was Adam at first. He had to prove to me that it was him because it was that surreal. He offered me a match-worn signed shirt so I was obviously over the moon. He asked me straight away how old I was and I said '15' because I didn't see it as a problem as I was only getting a signed shirt. In fact, I told him that I had only just turned 15. I was overwhelmed by all of this. This was my favourite player and he was texting me. I felt used and let down by him. It's been the hardest year of my life and I've had to face so much abuse after he claimed his innocence. I was made out to be a liar, if anything, I held things back because I didn't want all of this to come out. What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered. There are people out there who have made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. I have been unable to defend myself publically. The gossip on social media and hearing all of the horrible names that people have been calling me has been devastating to me, my friends and my family. People were lying about me and what I had said. They don't understand the impact their words can have on someone. Him being found guilty, shows everyone I was telling the truth. I hope people can see that everything is not always as it first seems and opinions should only be based on facts and not on rumours. The last 12 months have been horrendous and there have been times when I've wanted to hide away from the world. There have been times I haven't felt able to face people. There have been times when I've tried not to show people how upset I am, but sometimes it hasn't been possible and I'd just cry. I've felt so broken. I've been in some very dark places over that time and I thought the trial and giving evidence, having my say, would give me closure. But it didn't. It put me back into the same dark places and I felt worse than I've ever felt before. This was because I still didn't feel believed. I feel sad for Stacey and what she has been through. I hope Adam realises the hurt and damage he has caused. I now want to put this awful experience behind me and begin to rebuild my life. I hope I can move on from this and look to the future.' Advertisement

Rise and fall of the £60,000-a-week footballer dubbed 'ASBO lad': How serial cheat and party-animal Adam Johnson was dumped by his ex for paying £12,000 for a date with Katie Price at a charity auction

Johnson pictured at a fancy dress party during his time at Manchester City. He became known among teammates for his love of partying

Sitting in his £2million mansion this time last year, Adam Johnson must have thought he had it all.

His glamorous girlfriend Stacey Flounders had just given birth to the couple's daughter and he was earning £60,000-a-week at his boyhood club Sunderland.

He was also the toast of the city after scoring a last-minute winner against bitter rivals Newcastle, prompting some fans to put models of him on top of their Christmas trees.

But the player's lavish stress-free existence was about to be blown apart when police arrived at his front door and, after speaking to Miss Flounders, arrested Johnson on suspicion of child sex offences.

After two months spent sending hundreds of sleazy messages to a schoolgirl he knew had just turned 15, his secret had been uncovered.

It would later emerge that, behind the facade of his happy family, Johnson had also been sending explicit messages to a number of other women.

A trial which has exposed Johnson's sordid lifestyle will now almost certainly end a footballing career which had promised so much.

Johnson grew up with parents Dave and Sonia and his younger sister Faye in Grants Houses, a village near the old colliery community of Easington, County Durham. His father worked at the nearby Caterpillar truck-making plant.

Johnson later said of the area: 'There's nothing much to do apart from get up to mischief for a lot of kids. It's not a massive thing, many teenagers will go down the wrong route.

'It's hard not to get sucked into that sort of life... I was getting up to no good. In big cities there might be more for kids to do, but not where I came from. For me, boredom was the issue.'

From a young age, his parents realised he had footballing potential, with his father later saying: 'He would attend coaching courses run by Sunderland. He'd pick up best player or player with the best attitude awards. So we knew even then he could play.'

He played at Wembley stadium aged just nine for Peterlee Boys, scoring two goals and winning praise from England legend Johnny Haynes.

Johnson was then signed up by the youth academy at Newcastle, then Middlesbrough, but his small size was always a problem and he spent much of his early teens being knocked off his feet by bigger and stronger boys.

The academy's Ron Bone later recalled: 'He had some really tough years and found it very difficult coping physically. He would get very frustrated and I had to tell him to be patient.'

He also had pelvic issues with his muscles and bones not developing at the same rate, but finally had a growth spurt aged 16 and was allowed into Middlesbrough senior team.

He spent much of his first season on the bench as an unused substitute and was farmed out to lower league teams to improve.

Aidy Boothroyd, the former manager of Watford, one of clubs to which Johnson was sent, said the 'lads used to give him stick because he looked like he should have been served with an ASBO'.

Having shown his quality in the lower leagues, Johnson was brought back to Middlesbrough from where he won a dream move to Manchester City, who were fast becoming one of the biggest clubs in the country.

The move made Johnson a very rich man and - aged just 22 - he was pocketing an eye-watering £80,000-a-week wages at the Emirati-owned club.

But his wealth and new found fame were as much of a curse as a blessing.

He reportedly bid £12,000 for a date with model Katie Price in a charity auction, only to be dumped when his then girlfriend Sophie Reade found out.

Johnson grew up in the mining community of Easington with his father Dave, mother Sonia and sister Faye

The youngster (pictured with football legends Gary Lineker and Emlyn Hughes) was touted as a future star

Ms Reade later told The Daily Star: 'He humiliated me in front of hundreds of people. There is no way he can get away with that.

'If he wanted to raise money for charity then he should have run a marathon.'

She later went on Twitter and, in a thinly-veiled attack on Johnson, wrote: 'Would like to meet a nice guy for a change, who don't turn out to be a complete loser!'

Like his personal life, Johnson's footballing career also seemed to be on the slide. Facing strong competition for places in the Manchester City's first team, opportunities on the pitch came few and far between and he later admitted he regretted signing for the big-money outfit.

He said: 'When I was there, I was always the one who would be dropped when the manager rotated the team. I wouldn't sign for them now if I was a young English player.'

He has told his trial that life as a footballer is 'easy', with 'pretty much everything, all we need, catered for'. But he also admitted the game had made him arrogant and immature.

It was towards the end of his time at Manchester City, when this easy life was shattered by the death of close friend Dale Roberts.

Johnson pictured (left) raging after he was substituted during his ill-fated time at Manchester City and getting a talking to from Italian manager Paulo Di Canio after his move to boyhood club Sunderland (right)

Johnson, pictured with Frank Lampard and the Duchess of Cambridge, was called up by England in 2010

Roberts had been in the same class at Easington Primary as Johnson and the pair played alongside each other in Middlebrough's youth team.

The 24-year-old took his own life in December 2010 after his partner Lindsey Cowan had an affair with Paul Terry, the brother of England captain John Terry.

Johnson, who had spent time with Roberts shortly before he took his own life, attended the player's inquest and funeral and told of his 'absolute devastation' at his death.

Johnson's misery on the bench at Manchester City was ended after two years when his boyhood team, Sunderland, came in for him and, after agreeing to a pay cut, his career seemed to have been saved.

It was around the time he returned to the North East that he started dating Stacey Flounders, a former air hostess three years his junior who grew up in Hartlepool.

Stacey seemed to calm his party-loving lifestyle and the couple bought a sprawling mansion in the quiet village of Castle Eden, not far from his mother and father.

Johnson was dumped by ex-girlfriend Sophie Reade (left) after buying a date with Katie Price AKA Jordan (right) in an auction for £12,000

After moving back to the North East, he began a long-term relationship with Stacey Flounders

The couple were pictured at nightclubs and expensive restaurants as they enjoyed the benefits of his soaring wealth.

But the boredom he had claimed dogged his youth returned in the hotel rooms he stayed in ahead of his team's away games and he began texting women and the girl who would later accuse him of grooming.

He told his trial that 'spending a lot of time in hotels it's quite easy to get carried away.'

Miss Flounders became suspicious and their relationship suffered as Johnson accused her of being 'paranoid'.

She once texted him saying: 'I'm not just an idiot who's at home all the time, doing s*** for you and having your kids... You need to change a bit, not just me.'

In one of his replies, Johnson wrote: 'You need to stop getting on my case all the time.'

It was during Miss Flounders' pregnancy that Johnson began messaging his 15-year-old victim on Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat, on which he set up a secret account.

It has emerged over the last two weeks that Johnson cheated on Stacey with 'quite a few women' and sent them explicit texts.

Johnson's friend Dale Roberts took his own life after his partner had an affair with John Terry's brother. They are pictured together above in a newspaper report

After the pain of finding out he had been messaging the girl around the time she gave birth, Stacey was also required to give evidence at his trial, telling the jury about their relationship and, as it became a point of dispute at his trial, his pubic hair.

She revealed the couple are no longer together, though they are trying to maintain a friendship.

Johnson now faces a possible jail term and a football career in tatters. As the Ched Evans case has shown, footballers struggle to shrug off the disgrace of sex crimes.

In his final match for Sunderland, Johnson scored an 82nd-minute free kick against Liverpool. It may well be the last memorable moment of a career ruined by sleaze.

Heartbreak of party-loving ex-air hostess Stacey Flounders who supported Adam Johnson through his child sex trial even though his infidelity destroyed their relationship

Adam Johnson's ex-girlfriend will be left picking up the pieces after his trial for child sex offences and the split in their relationship it caused.

Stacey Flounders - who has a one-year-old daughter with the footballer - has supported him in court and even gave evidence for his defence.

This was despite Johnson admitting to her that he had been messaging and meeting the 15-year-old schoolgirl at the centre of the case. And that he had also had flings with a number of other women.

Her family have told of the torment she has been going through during the investigation into the father of her child and the sordid details of his double life it uncovered.

Stacey Flounders, pictured during her relationship with Johnson, will have to pick up the pieces after his trial

The former air hostess was credited with calming his party-loving ways and they settled down together

Hartlepool-born Stacey (pictured left, shortly after they met and, right, shortly before the trial) started dating Johnson soon after he moved back to the North East in 2012

A relative told MailOnline: 'I feel so sorry for Stacey. She is a new mum and having a lot to cope with at the moment. Her grandad is also ill.'

Stacey, 26, grew up in Hartlepool where her mother still lives. Her father is understood to have moved to Florida.

She worked as an air hostess before meeting Johnson around the time he returned to the North East to play for Sunderland after an unsuccessful period at Manchester City.

The pair later moved into a sprawling £2million mansion in the upmarket village of Castle Eden, not far from Johnson's parents' home.

The family member added: 'Before Adam, Stacey had her own life, she was an air hostess and had a car. She likes her designer shoes and handbags. She is a stunning girl.

'She liked her holidays, she saved up to go to Mexico and her dad lives in Florida so she would go and see him.

'She must have been really smitten with Adam because I've seen her have boyfriends before but I didn't expect her to settle down so soon. I was shocked to hear she was pregnant.'

Johnson admitted during his trial that he had sent explicit messages to other women before he started messaging the girl involved in the trial.

He got in contact with the 15-year-old around a month before Miss Flounders gave birth to their daughter, who is now one year old.

At one point, he was even messaging the girl at the same time as texting Stacey, sometimes writing to them both in the same minute.

It was Stacey who answered the door when police came to Johnson's mansion in March last year and arrested him for child sex offences.

Relatives said she enjoyed holidaying after previously working as an air hostess before they got together

Stacey Flounders has stood by Johnson during his trial. Her family say she has been under a lot of pressure

Stacey told the court that, despite having split from Johnson, they want to remain friends and she believes he did not commit for serious sexual offences

Before he was taken away, he told her that his accuser was 16 and he had given her 'a couple of shirts'.

When he returned from the police station, the couple had a long and frank discussion in which the player admitted he had been cheating on her and he told her what he had been arrested for.

Stacey's pain was increased when, shortly after his arrest, online trolls circulated a photo of her which they wrongly claimed was the victim.

She was later forced to take down her social media profiles due to the abuse she was receiving.

Despite his admissions to her and the growing scandal around him, Stacey was pictured holding Johnson's hand as he arrived for his first court appearance in front of Peterlee magistrates last May.

She was with him again at the start of his trial and gave evidence in his defence, saying: 'He was honest with me, he was telling me the truth.'

Her family are said to be rallying around her as she attempts to put the stress of the last three weeks behind her.

End of the road for England star? Adam Johnson's Premier League career is over and his only hope is a move to the other side of the world, says expert

Adam Johnson faces being frozen out of the English game after he was found guilty of a child sex charge

Adam Johnson faces a near impossible task of rebuilding his football career after being told he faces a prison sentence for sexual activity with a child, experts in the game have said.

The ex-Sunderland footballer faces disgrace after his trial heard he repeatedly messaged a girl he knew was 15 and groomed her for sexual activity.

He met the girl through football and she was an avid fan who waited outside for him after matches. He gave her signed shirts before asking for a 'thank you kiss'.

The details of the trial - and Johnson's signing of the sex offenders' register - now look certain to destroy the 28-year-old's once-promising football career.

Sports marketing consultant Nigel Currie told MailOnline: 'He is going to find it incredibly hard to get back in the game in this country.

'His only possible hope is signing for a club overseas, perhaps in China or the Middle East, right out of the mainstream.

'His reputation is irreparably damaged and in some of his evidence he seemed to accept that.

'Football is a tough game, where fans will make it difficult if not impossible for him to live something like this down.

'With social media, fans can very quickly make their feelings heard these days and any club considering making him an offer would come under pressure.

'We've seen footballers in court in the past for drink driving and other offences and make it back into the game. But there are crimes and there are crimes and he's got to pay the price, quite rightly, for what he has done.'

The feeling inside the game is that there will be no return, no opportunity for redemption after what the judge at Bradford Crown Court described as 'an inevitable' custodial sentence on being found guilty of a second count of sexual activity.

The time behind bars is set to be upwards of four years.

It remains to be seen whether he would have the appetite or stomach to return but those entrenched in football culture say the nature of his charges would make it impossible for the 28-year-old to reintegrate himself into that world again.

They claim knowing of the 15-year-old's age and still pursuing her means his brain works differently to theirs.

He may have been cleared of one count, specifically that she performed oral sex, but it's claimed that he was in such a situation is reason enough for the sporting world to completely shun him.

Some would have retained a pang of sympathy for him had Johnson not known her age, not googled the legal age of consent.

Players are aware of the allure they draw and some exploit that. But, as one said on Wednesday, 'not with a minor'.

Supporters up and down England will not shy away from chanting what is thought of Johnson, as they have continued to do since his arrest. It was the soundtrack to his season until the Black Cats dropped him.

Johnson with his former partner Stacey Flounders outside Bradford Crown Court earlier this week

Johnson, right, has played in the Premier League for almost a decade but his career looks certain to be over

Figures in the game point in the direction of Ched Evans. There was no way back for him following jail time after a rape conviction, with the two clubs looking at offering a route in - Oldham and Sheffield United - having to perform hasty U-turns after public outcries.

Clubs will deliberate whether Johnson is worth the risk, as many did with Evans. It's thought the conclusions will be that he is not.

Oldham's board members ended up with death threats after news emerged that they were weighing up signing Evans, a former Wales international who started his career at Manchester City. His appeal to overturn the conviction is to be heard later this month and he served half a five-year sentence.

West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes was sacked by his club in August 2004 after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Hughes was however signed up by Oldham after he was released from prison and later played for Notts County and Port Vale.

Certainly the moral conscience and want of remaining away from the public eye as much as possible in football is such that those in England will steer clear.

Johnson, perhaps unlike Evans, does not need the money himself either. It was suggested that he is not expected to put himself in the firing line. At the end of a sorry year where his infamy has grown, insiders say that is wise.

And, given he is now on the sex offenders' register, the ex-England international may have problems leaving these shores.

He will be required to notify police when applying to work abroad but their approval is no guarantee Johnson could kickstart his career elsewhere anyway.

He would not, for example, be awarded a visa to work in the United States. Australia's immigration laws are strict as well. It is down to the individual governments to make those decisions.

Former professional footballer Ched Evans (left) has not been signed up since he was convicted of rape in 2012. Lee Hughes (right) did however find a club after he was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving

Johnson admitted in court that he wanted his liaison with the young girl to go further than it eventually did - kissing and touching in the back seat of his car.

Dressing rooms are said to be traditional places and those who have been inside privately wondered how he could ever enter one again and become accepted.

One individual who has been involved inside boardrooms revealed normal practice would be to way up pros and cons of signing Johnson. At this moment in time, as he awaits sentencing, there does not seem to be a single redeeming feature to write in the former's column.

'Is he more trouble than he's worth?' one asked. The answer is an unequivocal yes to those who know.

Sunderland bosses accuse Adam Johnson of lying after he claimed they KNEW he groomed and kissed a 15-year-old female fan but paid him £2million for another NINE months

Sunderland bosses have accused Adam Johnson of lying after he told a court they knew he had groomed and kissed a 15-year-old schoolgirl but allowed him to continue playing anyway.

Johnson enjoyed nine months of playing football in which he earned £2million- even going on a stag-do in Dubai - in the time after he claims he told Sunderland about what he had done.

But following his conviction for sexually touching a 15-year-old schoolgirl, bosses at the football club accused him of lying and strenuously denied knowing he was guilty of the crime.

This photo of Adam Johnson relaxing with friends in Dubai ahead of his trial was described to the jury

Pictures of the player lounging in the sun while awaiting a court appearance added to anger that he was allowed to continue enjoying a swanky lifestyle despite having told police of his grooming.

He headed off to the resort with teammates in May last year, just weeks after he claims he told Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne how he had groomed the 15-year-old girl.

Days after he was photographed enjoying a poolside beer he pleaded not guilty to four child sex offences at Durham Crown Court.

The jury were initially told that the 28-year-old denied all the charges when he first appeared in court last May, meaning he carried on playing in the Premier League until early February.

He later changed his plea to guilty on two of the charges, and over the last two weeks, has been on trial for two others.

The footballer said he handed over a transcript of the police interview in which he made the admissions to grooming and kissing the schoolgirl to Sunderland FC in May last year.

He claimed the club allowed him to continue playing for nine months - paying him well over £2million in that time.

Referring to Johnson's weekly wages at Sunderland, prosecutor Kate Blackwell QC asked him during the trial if there were '60,000 very good reasons' for not pleading guilty at the earlier hearing.

Johnson replied: 'It was the advice I was given at the time.'

The barrister asked again: '£60,000. Was that preying on your mind Mr Johnson?'

Johnson replied: 'I got asked to go back by the staff and management team. I wanted to carry on doing my job, they knew from the start.'

He said he told his club 'everything' after his arrest, including that he 'kissed [the girl] with tongues and felt aroused'.

Johnson was suspended by the club on March 2 after his arrest, but reinstated on March 18 and played up until February 6, scoring in his last game against Liverpool and throwing his shirt into the crowd.

Johnson, pictured holding his daughter, enjoys a 'lap of honour' at his club at the end of last season

But, following his conviction, Sunderland FC bosses released a lengthy statement in which they denied knowing he would change his plea.

Of the meeting with CEO Ms Byrne they said: 'During the time that she was present there was no suggestion whatsoever that Mr Johnson would be changing his plea.'

They added: 'The club did not give evidence either for the prosecution or the defence in this case.

'It was therefore not present in court when it is understood that a suggestion was made that the club knew all along that Mr Johnson was intending to change his plea just before trial to enable him to continue to play football for the club and that the club may also have been involved in tactical discussions about the plea.

Johnson claimed Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne knew what he had told police, but did not sack him until he formally pleaded guilty last month - the club denied this allegation Right: Johnson after his arrest

'This is utterly without foundation and is refuted in the strongest possible terms.

'The club never placed any pressure or demands on Mr Johnson to play football during this process.

'Decisions in relation to the pleas and the conduct of the trial have been left entirely to Mr Johnson and his highly experienced and skilled legal team.

'The club was not advised in advance that Mr Johnson would plead guilty to any offence. Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges, then his employment would have been terminated immediately.

'Indeed, upon learning of the guilty plea on 11 February 2016, the club acted quickly and decisively in terminating Adam Johnson's contract without notice.'

While awaiting his trial, the 28-year-old even went to Dubai to celebrate teammate Steven Fletcher's stag do and was pictured drinking beer and lounging by a pool as his friends smoked from a shisha pipe.

Fletcher was later one of the players who pulled out of giving evidence in Johnson's defence.

After the England winger's trial concluded this week, Sunderland are set to come in for a barrage of questions about why they allowed him to keep taking the field in their shirt for nearly a year after he told them what he had done.

Jim Gilling, secretary of a Sunderland supporters' group, said last week: 'If they were aware then I would have expected Margaret Byrne and the club to have sacked him immediately, just as they did earlier this month.

'It leaves me feeling very uneasy that we have supported Johnson for a year and he knew what he had done.'

Fans have also taken to Twitter to complain about the club's handling of the situation.

A feed called SAFC chat tweeted: 'How can Margaret Byrne get away with dragging our name into the mud and not get sacked?'

Another fan wrote: 'Margaret Byrne and Adam Johnson do not define the team I support. It has existed for 137 years and two people will not ruin it #SAFC'

Supporters have pointed out that Mrs Byrne has previously trumpeted her past as a criminal solicitor.

She worked as a lawyer in London before joining Sunderland as a secretary in 2007 and working her way up.

Johnson said in his trial that he issued Mrs Byrne with a copy of his police interview transcript and that of his alleged victim.

During his trial, Johnson's QC Orlando Pownall said of Sunderland: 'It's plain they knew exactly what was going on. They had the statements, they did have Mr Johnson's interview and they chose in that situation, rightly or wrongly... they allowed him to keep playing.'

Mr Pownall suggested during the trial that the decision may have been down to 'commercial considerations', telling the jury: 'You may consider SAFC were facing relegation and didn't want to lose one of their star players.'

Johnson continued playing for Sunderland until February 6 this year, when he scored against Liverpool

Despite admitting to kissing the girl to police, Johnson initially pleaded not guilty to grooming, but changed his plea on that charge and one count of sexual activity with a child at the start of his trial.

Prosecutors accused him of 'playing games with the courts' and hoping his accuser would drop out of the case before the trial. He insisted that he was following legal advice.

The stag-do took place just days before he appeared in court to first enter formal pleas in June last year.

The jury in his trial was told about the trip, but photos of him giving a thumbs up as he drinks beer next to a hotel swimming pool can only be shown now.

The footballer admitted he had seen a report about the the trip in the Daily Mail.

SUNDERLAND FC'S FULL STATEMENT FOLLOWING JOHNSON'S CONVICTION Here is the full statement from Sunderland Football Club after former player Adam Johnson was convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child: 'To respect the legal process, Sunderland AFC was unable to comment on this case until after the jury had delivered its verdict. It has now done so and we thank our supporters for their patience and understanding. We now wish to clarify certain matters which arose during the trial. 'Mr Johnson was suspended by the club immediately following his arrest on March 2, 2015. At that time, the club was advised by police of the broad nature of the allegations against Mr Johnson, who was being advised at all times by his own legal team. The club felt that the decision to suspend was appropriate at that time, even though he had not then been charged with any offence. 'Two weeks later, his suspension was lifted after a meeting between the club and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), and after the club took independent legal advice. The club reached this decision only after carrying out a safeguarding assessment and liaising with relevant agencies. 'On 23 April 2015, Mr Johnson was charged with four offences. The club was informed that it was Mr Johnson's intention to defend all the charges, a stance he maintained right up until the first day of trial. The club continued to review the safeguarding procedures it had put in place throughout this time. 'On 4 May 2015, an introductory meeting took place between Mr Johnson, his father and Orlando Pownall QC. Mr Pownall had not previously met Mr Johnson. The club's CEO was present during part of that meeting. 'During the time that she was present there was no suggestion whatsoever that Mr Johnson would be changing his plea. Some documents were received relating to the case, which were immediately sent to Mr Pownall for his attention. However, the club was not in a position to make any judgment on the outcome of the case nor on Mr Johnson's decision to defend all the allegations. 'Following that meeting, Mr Johnson again confirmed to the club, presumably on advice from his own legal team, that his intention was to defend the charges in their entirety and he was confident of success once all evidence had been considered. He subsequently entered not guilty pleas to all charges on 6 June 2015. 'The club did not give evidence either for the prosecution or the defence in this case. It was therefore not present in court when it is understood that a suggestion was made that the club knew all along that Mr Johnson was intending to change his plea just before trial to enable him to continue to play football for the club and that the club may also have been involved in tactical discussions about the plea. 'This is utterly without foundation and is refuted in the strongest possible terms. The club never placed any pressure or demands on Mr Johnson to play football during this process. Decisions in relation to the pleas and the conduct of the trial have been left entirely to Mr Johnson and his highly experienced and skilled legal team. Mr Johnson has admitted in evidence that he changed his plea 'on legal advice'. 'The club only became aware of the change of plea, in relation to two of the four counts on the indictment, on the first day of the trial, after hearing it reported through the media. The club was not advised in advance that Mr Johnson would plead guilty to any offence. Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges, then his employment would have been terminated immediately. 'Indeed, upon learning of the guilty plea on 11 February 2016, the club acted quickly and decisively in terminating Adam Johnson's contract without notice. 'This has been an extremely difficult time for all involved. The victim and her family have endured an unimaginable ordeal in the last 12 months and we trust that they will now be allowed to move on with their lives without further intrusion or public scrutiny. 'Following the announcement of today's verdict and the release of this detailed statement, the club intends to make no further comment.' Advertisement

TIMELINE OF EVENTS: ADAM JOHNSON CONTINUED PLAYING FOR SUNDERLAND AFTER HE CLAIMS HE TOLD THEM HE GROOMED SCHOOLGIRL December 2014 - Johnson and girl start exchanging messages online. She tells him she has only just turned 15. 17 January 2015 - Johnson's first meeting with the girl where he signs two football shirts for her. 30 January - Johnson meets girl for a second time. He says they kissed, she alleges more serious sexual activity took place. 31 January - Girls tells friends about her meeting with Johnson. 25 February - Girl hoped to meet Johnson but he pulls out saying he can't leave home. Girls tells parents about their meetings. 26 February - Girl and her mother go to police. 2 March - Johnson is arrested at his home in Castle Eden, County Durham on suspicion of having sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. Player is suspended from playing pending the outcome of a police investigation. Johnson arrives at Peterlee Police station in County Durham on April 23, 2015 18 March - His bail is extended and his suspension from playing for his club is lifted. 21 March - Plays his first game for his club since his arrest 4 May - Johnson, his lawyer and his father hold meeting with the club telling them that he has confessed to messaging the 15-year-old and kissing her. He continues to be allowed to play. 18 May - Johnson's solicitors tell magistrates he intends to deny the three counts of sexual activity and the count of grooming. No formal pleas are entered. 24 May - Sunderland avoid relegation and Johnson heads off on stag-do to Dubai. 3 June - Johnson formally pleads not guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and another count of grooming at Durham Crown Court. 3 August - At a preliminary hearing, Johnson's trial is pushed back to February 2016. 6 February 2016 - Johnson plays his final game for Sunderland, scoring and throwing his shirt into the crowd. 10 February - Johnson pleads guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of grooming. 11 February - Sunderland sack Johnson. 12 February - Player's trial begins. Advertisement

Shamed Adam Johnson's schoolgirl victim, 15, describes how her 'year of hell' has left her 'broken' after she was branded a 'slut and liar'

Shamed footballer Adam Johnson's 15-year-old victim has described her 'year of hell' which left her in 'a very dark place' after he denied the claims made against him and made her appear to be a 'liar' and a 'slut'.

In a statement released this afternoon following Johnson's conviction, the schoolgirl said she had 'idolised' the 'hero' football player - but was left 'broken, used and let down' by him following their meetings.

She said:'What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered.

'There are people out there who have made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. I have been unable to defend myself publicly.'

She added: 'The last 12 months have been horrendous and there have been times when I've wanted to hide away from the world. There have been times I haven't felt able to face people.

'There have been times when I've tried not to show people how upset I am, but sometimes it hasn't been possible and I'd just cry. I've felt so broken.'

During the trial the schoolgirl described how, after two months spent exchanging online messages with the footballer she idolised - and two secret meetings in his car - the schoolgirl was trapped in a nightmare.

The avid Sunderland fan had 'got a bit drunk' and told her friends about what had happened. But just days later, rumours had spread around her school and she was receiving threatening messages over the internet.

More than 80 people were commenting on Facebook about her trysts with the player, with one telling her: 'I will rape you.'

As she sat alone in her room, watching the online bile about her grow, she finally broke down and decided to tell her parents.

The sport-loving teen, who has said she hated hiding things from her mother and father, went downstairs and tearfully told her father what had been going on.

Her father had already realised something was up - something more than the usual teenage dramas - and watched in shock as she broke down in tears.

She used to wait outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light after matches for her favourite player to emerge

The teenager said she struggled to get the words out as she tried to explain how she had been groomed by a 27-year-old man.

She then told her football-fan father that the man she had been meeting was none other than England winger and Sunderland star Adam Johnson.

After reassuring his daughter that he would always be there for her, the girl's father phoned her mother, who the following day took her out of school classes and to the local police station.

In two interviews with officers, the girl revealed that she had sent Johnson a friend request on Facebook and was astonished when he accepted.

Over the following weeks, the pair would exchange scores of messages and, to the girl's further amazement, would meet up in his Range Rover where he signed two football shirts for her.

But his apparent generosity was merely a ruse for what the prosecution would later call 'grooming in its purest form'.

The girl, who had a season ticket at Sunderland, said she felt too afraid to go there after his arrest. File photo

Soon after they met, the girl later started getting requests from Johnson for a 'thank you kiss' for the football shirts.

Despite having told her his age, the girl played along with his advances, eager to appear grown-up in front of the footballing idol she had watched from the stands.

She said she got a thrill go to support the team, knowing she had messages from him from one of their top stars on her phone.

At the second meeting, she gave Johnson his thank you kiss, before things went much further. She would later recount how he had pulled her hand towards what she referred to as his 'thingy'.

He then put his hand on her back and pushed her down towards his groin. She said in court she felt 'compelled' to perform oral sex on him.

Within minutes of Johnson dropping her off at a sweet shop, he was messaging her again, telling her how he wanted to get her in the back of his car and 'get her jeans off'. He joked: 'I'll last 10 seconds though, lol'.

The following day, the girl couldn't help but tell a small circle of friends of her meeting with a footballer who was a major celebrity in their area.

But the group of people who knew became larger and larger as the rumours spread through her school and teachers eventually had to threaten punishment to pupils heard talking about the girl.

On the night when she finally told her parents, Johnson had pulled out of a third meeting, saying he couldn't make an excuse to get away from this girlfriend and daughter.

When the girl got home, she discovered a boy at her school had started an online chat about her, with scores of youngsters piling in to join the gossip.

The girl said that after Johnson was arrested and the case became public, she was called 'a slut, a liar and a slag'.

Having been given a Sunderland season ticket as a Christmas present, she became too scared to go to watch the team for fears she'd be targeted by others.

Her ordeal was to continue for months as Johnson pleaded not guilty at a first court appearance.

The girl would eventually be drawn into a trial, where she spent two days being grilled by the top QC representing Johnson via a videolink.

The girl went to Johnson's home village of Castle Eden (pictured in file photo) after he failed to meet her

The youngster regularly broke down in tears during the questioning and ended the session looking shaken by the experience.

'He let people cheer him on in matches and he let people call me all the names under the sun,' she told the court during one emotional exchange.

Her evidence ended with her sobbing and shouting: 'I have 100% told the truth about it. He knows for a fact he did it to me. He lied about the others for a year and now he has admitted it.

'They say I was a silly little girl out to ruin a man's career. Yes, I was a silly little girl but it's not my career being ruined so I shouldn't have been made to think that.'