Ched Evans has been found not guilty of rape following a retrial of his case at Cardiff Crown Court.
The 27-year-old spent two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of raping a then-19-year-old girl at a Welsh hotel in May 2011.
Following his release, Evans continued to protest his innocence and was granted a retrial in April when his original conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.
The jury of seven women and five men considering the retrial delivered their verdict in under three hours on Friday afternoon, having listened to eight days' worth of new testimony.
Evans was reported to be "visibly shaking" as the verdict was read, before leaving the dock in tears to hug girlfriend Natasha Massey.
The former Wales international returned to professional football with League One outfit Chesterfield this summer.
Written by
Neil Wilkes
Neil Wilkes
