Special comment:

IT is an issue that will forever divide opinion.

When Sheffield United announced that former player and convicted rapist Ched Evans would be allowed to train with the club, just three weeks after his early release from a five year prison sentence, they knew the news would not be met with widespread approval.

The club have stressed the decision followed a request from the Professional Footballers' Association, and that Evans, 25, was by no means guaranteed a full time contract.

But in reality, such reasoning is likely to fall on deaf ears.

For some, Evans is now a free man justifiably exploiting his right to return to his chosen profession.

But for the majority, the move represents a sickening lack of respect to victims of sexual assault, and exonerates a man who many feel should never be allowed to step foot on a football field again.

I fear that my own particular view, like that of Sheffield United’s, will not be universally accepted.

There is no playing down the seriousness of sexual assault, and I won’t pretend to understand the psychological damage that accompanies one.  Evans’ victim and her family will understandably be mortified about the thought of the former Welsh international being back in the public domain, and reaping the rich rewards associated with footballers.

But there is another side to the debate. One which suggests Evans has served the punishment imposed upon him, and now has every right to seek employment and rebuild his life. Some employers may be put off by his past, but it is unreasonable to suggest that convicted criminals should not try and work again upon their release.

Of course, the complication with Evans is that his chosen profession is one of the most high profile in the World. If he was returning to work as a shop keeper, librarian, or mechanic – then the levels of debate would be considerably lower.

Evans of course, has always vehemently protested his innocence, with the Criminal Cases Review Commission recently announcing that they were fast tracking a review into his conviction. His apparent lack of remorse has done little to enhance public perception.

Again however, there is a counter argument to consider. Only Evans knows if his sense of injustice is sincere – but if, and only if, he genuinely feels he has been wronged, then few can blame him for continuing the fight to clear his name.

Of course, the complexities of this situation mean the rightful solution will never be clear cut. Regardless of the next step, Evans will continue to spark heated debates about the law, about justice, and about right and wrong.

I don’t envy Sheffield United’s position, but as an avid player of team sports, I can’t help but empathise with their decision.

Many of us, whether it be in Pembrokeshire sport or at a higher level, have experienced a situation where a team mate has done wrong off the field. And ‘wrong’ may extend from a stray punch in a night club to a prison sentence for a criminal offence.

Admittedly, few are asked to welcome a convicted rapist back into the fold, but nine times out of ten, if a disgraced player has served his punishment and returns to your club, you give them a second chance.

You may no longer respect them, and you may scoff at other clubs who display seemingly dubious loyalty, but when it’s your own, instinct tells you not to throw them to the wolves.

And that is why in this instance, and there will be many who justifiably disagree with me, I believe Sheffield United have done the right thing.