Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has expressed his belief that convicted rapist Ched Evans should be allowed to play football again upon his release from prison.
The 25-year-old was handed a five-year jail sentence in 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel.
More than 90,000 people signed a petition calling on Evans's former club Sheffield United not to re-employ him, although Taylor says that the Welsh striker should be allowed back in the game.
"I didn't know there was a law that said once you come out of prison you still can't do anything," the PFA chief told BBC Sport.
"As a trade union we believe in the rule of law. Besides that, he still wants to contribute to society. If he earns money he'll pay taxes, those taxes will go to help people who maybe can't get a job."
Evans is due to be released from prison this month.
