Adam Johnson was suspended by Sunderland after his arrest on suspicion of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. The 27-year-old former England winger, who earns £50,000 a week, was arrested by Durham police at his £1.85million mansion on Monday morning and later bailed.
Sunderland have confirmed that Johnson, who recently became a father, will not be available for selection pending the outcome of the investigation, beginning with Tuesday’s Premier League clash at Hull. The Black Cats signed the Sunderland-born midfielder for £10m from Manchester City in 2012.
He has scored 20 times in 105 games for the club, including the winner at Newcastle in this season’s Tyne-Wear derby.
However, he has struggled to rediscover the form which won him an England call-up in 2010. His last cap for the Three
Lions came three years ago. Johnson began his career at Middlesbrough before joining City in 2010, where he won a
Premier League title and the FA Cup.
The FA refused to comment on the arrest of the winger who has represented his country 12 times, although he failed to make the squad for the World Cup in Brazil last year.
Johnson gained a reputation as a keen party-goer when he played for Manchester City five years ago. At the time, he was renting Cristiano Ronaldo’s former house near Alderley Edge and would often be seen in the village socialising with fellow players and women.
‘He liked the attention of being a well-known footballer and attracting women was not a problem,’ said one local, who did not wish to be named. ‘He would often leave his car in the village after a night out as he liked a drink and would always get a taxi home.’
But three years ago, after returning to his native North East, Johnson began dating Stacey Flounders. Miss Flounders recently posted photographs of the couple’s first child, Ayla Sofia, who was born on January 8. It was unclear if she and her daughter were at home at the time of the player’s arrest. Friends say Johnson opted to live near the quiet hamlet of Castle Eden to get away from the ‘bright lights’ of city life.
Three unmarked police cars, a police van, several plain-clothed officers and a forensics team were seen at his house as he was questioned at a Durham police station.
Johnson’s stunning gated property boasts six bedrooms and a sweeping gravel drive and is set in more than two acres of mature woodland. The house is a typical Footballers’ Wives-style property with Italian stone flooring, and a spiral staircase to a mezzanine level.
The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, dressing room and balconies at the front and rear while the other five bedrooms are all en-suite.
culled from daily mail
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