Ched Evans
Evans' return to training at Sheffield United sparked a public outcry Getty Images

Convicted rapist Ched Evans is to be signed by League One club Oldham Athletic, according to reports.

Evans, 26, has spoken with Oldham for the second time and the club is now willing to give the striker a chance to re-start his football career, reports the Sun on Sunday.

The move comes after Hartlepool United dismissed claims last month that Evans was set to join the club after a series of speculative reports surfaced online, and Evans' representatives denied he would be moving to the Maltese club Hiberians.

Oldham is believed to be planning to hold a press conference on Monday in relation to Evans' signing, although this has not been confirmed and no deal is been believed to have been signed.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme that a League One club will hold a press conference on Monday in relation to Evans's signing but declined to name the team.

"The club are due to hold the press conference tomorrow and I've made it clear to them that I cannot attend tomorrow," he said.

"We've had a number of steps forward and a number of steps back. I'm not going to count my chickens. If a club are looking to sign him they need to be 100% committed, give their reasons for signing him and get on with it, rather than inviting public debate.

"He's a footballer. He wants to return to society as a footballer, so he does need an employer to take him on."

Evans was released from prison in October after serving half of a five-year jail sentence for rape. He was offered a chance to train at his former club Sheffield United, but the offer was withdrawn following a public outcry.

On Friday, Maltese club Hibernians announced that it has offered the striker a deal for the remainder of the season, but the move was blocked by the Ministry of Justice because Evans is not allowed to work abroad.

IBTimes UK contacted Oldham Athletic for a comment, but a response was not received at the time of publication.

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