Wrong English Premier League Player Pegged As Alleged Child Sex Offender Suspended by Club

Thousands of social media soccer fans have mistakenly pegged Everton's central midfielder Fabian Delph as the player who was suspended over alleged child sex offences. In a statement from the Toffees Monday night, the club confirmed it has indeed suspended a player pending police investigations but has not identified the player.

As confirmed news of the suspension spread, speculating netizens took to social media and Delph’s name seemed to frequently come up. However, false accusations and speculations continue to flood the world wide web dragging the soccer star's name into the controversy.

An Everton source was quoted saying: “He is entirely innocent and has been dragged into this by the club’s decision not to name the other player, directly leading to rumours spreading on unregulated websites and social media.”

Everton has stated that Delph has not been suspended over the alleged sex offenses, but the club did reveal that he will not be accompanying his teammates to Orlando for the pre-season tour in the US. This decision was the result of Delph coming into contact with an individual who tested positive for Covid-19.

"The Club will continue to support the authorities with their inquiries and will not be making any further statement at this time,” the statement read. It did not name the player nor provided any further information about the case. The suspected player cannot be named for legal reasons but according to The Sun, the soccer player has been identified in his home country as well as in some global news websites.

Greater Manchester Police said they had arrested a 31-year-old man on July 16, on suspicion of serious child sex offenses. The player was interviewed but was released on bail pending investigations. A source said: "Several items were seized by cops. He was questioned in relation to very serious offences."

While the player has strongly denied all allegations, a partner brand has already made the decision to drop him from its endorsement contract. The news came as a huge shock to the team members as the arrested player was very popular with his squad.

Meanwhile, Delph has been prepping for the coming season and will resume his pre-season training as soon as his self-isolation ends.