Disgraced former England footballer Adam Johnson has faced a frosty reception at a local golf club, with his presence reportedly causing some members to feel “uneasy”. The 38-year-old was convicted in 2016 of having sex with a 15-year-old and child grooming and was sentenced to six years in prison.
He was released in 2019 after completing half of his term. But despite continuing to maintain a low profile in his quiet rural surroundings, the former Manchester City, Sunderland and Middlesbrough player found that his past continued to cast a long shadow over his life. The Daily Mail reported that a pamphlet called “Policies and Procedures to Keep Children and Young People Safe” was clearly posted on a bulletin board in the men’s locker room at Johnson’s golf club.
After being released from prison in 2019, Johnson is trying to piece his life back together. He has resumed a relationship with Stacey Flanders, a glamor model and the mother of his children, which ended during a court case in 2016.
Although she initially stood by the footballer, she eventually distanced herself from him after details of his transgressions were revealed in highly embarrassing terms. However, her family says Stacey has since decided to reunite with Adam to give her daughter, born in 2015, a stable home with her parents. In 2021, their second child, a son, was born.
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“Mr Johnson has been back with Stacey for a while and is concentrating on his children. Mr Johnson is keeping busy and has lots of friends,” Mr Johnson’s aunt Eileen Walsh told the Daily Mail. “He loves golf and being with his family, and he has a close family around him.”
A childhood friend of Stacey’s said: “Stacey knows how she feels and has grown up in a very close-knit family, so if there was anything that could convince Stacey to give her another chance, it would be to give her children a stable education.”
“After he was released, it didn’t look like they would be able to get back together, but a year after he was released, the pandemic hit and that gradually changed things. He was desperate to make up for lost time with his daughter, who missed the early part of her life in prison.”
“He was a devoted father and that’s why they were able to try again. Now they have a second child and are a very happy family.”
Johnson, who once earned £80,000 a week at Manchester City and lived in a £4m mansion once owned by Cristiano Ronaldo, now lives with Stacey and their two children in a more modest £470,000 house in the North East.
His fall from grace ended his career as a soccer player, but an anonymous relative said he had saved enough during his playing days to be financially comfortable. “He had saved enough money during his active years that he was able to live a very good life without worries,” they said. “They have a great life, their children wouldn’t want anything more.”
Johnson now spends much of his time playing golf and visiting country pubs with his family and close friends, deliberately avoiding crowded city centers and bars to avoid negative attention.
Locals described him as an “average type”, with one commenting, “I’ve seen him around here a few times since, mostly with his family, and he seems like a normal guy.”
