David Goodwillie makes Scottish football reappearance as club insist striker 'deserves a chance'

David Goodwillie’s latest team have said that the footballer “deserves a chance”.

The 34-year-old striker, who was ruled by a judge at a civil court case in 2017 to have raped a woman, played for ninth-tier side Glasgow United FC in a friendly match last week. Goodwillie, capped three times for Scotland, has seen moves to clubs in Scotland, England and Australia collapse amid controversy. It has not been confirmed if Glasgow United have signed Goodwillie or offered him a contract.

In a statement released to the BBC, Glasgow United said: “After listening to David and meeting his young family and the rejection he has had from numerous clubs who pulled out of signing him after sponsors made threats to pull out we thought he deserves a chance. All he wants is to be left in peace and be allowed to play the game he loves. We are a club who has a number of members with varying needs we look after in different ways, we don’t just turn people away.”

Goodwillie and fellow footballer David Robertson were deemed by a judge at a civil court in January 2017 to have raped a 30-year-old woman at a property in Armadale, West Lothian, after a night out in nearby Bathgate in January 2011. Criminal charges against Goodwillie were dropped in 2011 due to lack of evidence.

David Goodwillie played as a trialist for Glasgow United in a friendly match against Pollok on July 12. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Goodwillie left English club Plymouth “by mutual consent” days after the civil court ruling and in March 2017, he signed for Clyde. There was widespread outrage when Scottish side Raith signed Goodwillie from Clyde in February 2022 and he was released from his contract without playing a match. In February this year, Northern Premier League side Radcliffe signed the former Dundee United and Blackburn forward and he scored a hat-trick on his debut against Belper Town but an angry public response saw a change of heart from the English club.

In June, Australian second-tier side FC Sorrento backtracked on signing Goodwillie in the wake of a public backlash. “Sorrento Football Club has rescinded its contract with David Goodwillie,” a statement read. “David was scheduled to arrive in Perth within the next week to commence playing with the club for the remainder of the 2023 NPLM season. The arrangement was non-commercial in nature. The club has informed David of its decision and apologises to anyone in our football and broader community that may have been caused offence by his signing.”