David Goodwillie released by Radcliffe FC after one game amid backlash

David Goodwillie has been released after just one game at his new club after they faced a backlash over his signing.

The former Scotland, Dundee United and Aberdeen striker scored a hat-trick in his first game for English non-league side Radcliffe FC on Tuesday.

But the team from Greater Manchester never publicised the signing and it was only revealed he had joined when the squads for the game against Belper Town were announced.

The 33-year-old, who was found by a judge in a civil case in 2017 to have raped a woman, caused controversy when he signed for Raith Rovers last year.

Sponsors, fans and high-profile supporters criticised his move to Kirkcaldy and eventually led to him being released by the club after eight months without playing a game.

A loan move to Clyde also broke down for the same reason and he had not played for anyone else until his return to action for Radcliffe FC on this week.

However, on Wednesday the seventh-tier side announced that Goodwillie would no longer be playing for them following backlash from supporters.

A statement released on the team website said: “We can confirm that David Goodwillie has left the club.

“As a club we have always been about second chances and have been a part of many players and staff members rehabilitation along that journey, we’ve always given people a chance to improve their life and found support in this endeavour.

“When the club were presented with David Goodwillie that same logic was applied, but in this case it’s clear that was a significant misstep and our due diligence should have been of a much higher standard.

“We can vouch for all the people at the club involved in this signing did so out of the desire to do a good thing for an individual with an admittedly tainted past as we have done so successfully before but this was a bridge too far.

“This move came about very quickly, with clearance only granted extremely late leaving us in a position where our media volunteers were unable to release details prior to team sheets being produced – while regrettable this was also unavoidable.”