Labour’s shadow sports minister Clive Efford MP said it was “not appropriate” for convicted rapist Ched Evans to return to football following his release from prison in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Evans has spent the last two-and-a-half years serving a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel.

Before his release, Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough confirmed that the board were looking into the possibility of re-signing the former Blades striker despite an online petition of nearly 150,000 people asking the club to refuse to allow him to play again.

While Efford accepts that the Welsh international has served some of his time in jail, football is not the place for convicted rapists to be employed.

He said: “I think there are many areas of employment where, when you’ve committed a crime like that, you are not allowed to be employed in that form of employment, and I think football is one of them, because you are a role model within a community.

“I know this is sad for Ched Evans, who’s been to prison and paid a price, but I think that in these circumstances it’s not appropriate to have someone with that record in a profession where you are idolised by young people.”

Evans’s personal website — run by his family and girlfriend Natasha Massey in an attempt to overturn his conviction — confirmed his release yesterday morning at 5am and released a statement saying the player would make a video statement next week.

It said: “Next week Ched will make a very personal and profound statement by video which will be on his site and available for use by the media should they choose to do so.

“Ched is now adjusting to normal life after serving a sentence for a crime consistently denied.

“While we understand the media interest, we would respectfully request some privacy over the next few weeks.

“Ched would like to thank, prior to the video statement, the thousands of people from all walks of life who have supported him and believe in him.”