THE wife of the footie star who was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences has quit the family home to be with her parents. Cops raided the mansion and seized several items. The Everton player, 31, has been suspended by his club while the investigation goes on. His wife is said to have left […]
THE wife of the footie star who was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences has quit the family home to be with her parents.
Cops raided the mansion and seized several items.
The Everton player, 31, has been suspended by his club while the investigation goes on.
His wife is said to have left their luxury pad just days before his arrest.
But the player’s parents and sister are believed to be currently with him at a “safe house” in a show of support.
The investigation is being led by specialist officers who received a complaint several weeks ago.
Friday’s arrest sent shockwaves through the Premier League club, with team-mates stunned by the news.
Fans were shocked, and speculation led to midfielder Fabian Delph being wrongly named as the player in question on social media.
A source said: “It’s been a difficult few days for Delph. He is entirely innocent and yet has been dragged into this mess after Everton refused to name the player.
“It meant rumours grew on social media and it’s led to a torrent of false accusations and cruel memes online.”
Police have confirmed that a 31-year-old man was arrested last week on suspicion of child sex offences.
They said he had been released on bail “pending further inquiries”.
The player cannot be named for legal reasons — though he has been identified in his home country and on global news websites.
He is understood to vehemently deny the allegations against him but has already been stripped of an endorsement deal.
An Everton source said: “His team-mates had no idea until the club told them all. The arrested player is a very popular member of the squad so no one can believe it.
“The players are all just hoping that it’s a misunderstanding, or a mix-up or something.”
Everton flew to the US yesterday for a pre- season tournament.
