Hibs say they have no intention of signing Ched Evans

The president of Hibernians FC, Anthony Bezzina, has declared that the Paola club has no intention of signing convicted rapist Ched Evans, the former Sheffield United goal-scorer who served two and a half years of a five-year prison sentence.

Evans’s agent last week already denied the Malta move, after the news garnered publicity in Malta and the United Kingdom, even prompting a tweet from Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat calling on Hibs to reconsider the deal.

In a statement, Bezzina said that it was club sponsor VaughanBoxing.TV – owned by football and boxing impresario Stephen Vaughan in the UK – who approached team manager Jeffrey Farrugia with the possibility of signing Evans.

“Hibs declares that it has no intention of engaging Mr Ched Evans,” Bezzina said. “Under my presidency for the past 36 years, our club has always greatly valued the social aspect and impact on every decision taken, being the engagement of football players and the daily running of the club.

“The members and supporters of Hibernians FC and the general public can be assured that consideration of the social aspect and impact on decisions are of the highest values and shall always continue to be paramount and of utmost priority to our club,” Bezzina said.

The club president said that no club decision would be based solely on financial considerations or the quest for club honours. 

Evans, 26, was released from prison in October after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room back in 2011. Following his release, he maintained his innocence, saying the sex was consensual.

The UK Ministry of Justice said that Evans, as a convicted sex offender on licence, was barred from working outside the UK.