Gordon Strachan, the former Scotland and Celtic manager, believes that Adam Johnson, recently released from prison after serving time for child sex offences, should be welcomed back into professional football.

The former Sunderland and Manchester City winger was sentenced to six years for engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old fan in 2016. He served just half of his sentence behind bars and was released from HMP Moorland, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire last week.

Johnson, capped 12 times for England, was jailed for grooming, kissing and touching the 15-year-old.

Strachan, however, believes 31-year-old Johnson has served his time and, should he show remorse for his actions, deserves the opportunity to play football again.

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Asked if he would sign him were he a manager of a club, Strachan said: “I would if he’s shown genuine remorse. Then I’d say ‘right, let’s get on with it’.

“I would because I go back to what I believe in that everybody deserves a second chance – and he’s done his bit. People will think he’s done his three years – [but] this is for life. People will say ‘that’s that guy’.

“But he also still has to make a living for himself and his family. What if we don’t allow him back in the game and his family are affected? His kids? We’ve got to think about that.

“You cannot destroy his family and himself just because of what he did. He’s done his three years. We must forgive. I generally think we forgive most people if they show remorse.”

Strachan, who managed Celtic from 2005 to 2009 and Scotland from 2013 to 2017, also told Sky Sports’ ‘The Debate’ programme: “Whether he wants to play football, I don’t know. He might just go ‘it’s not for me’. But has to make a living, so somebody will have to employ him at something else.”

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Sam Allardyce, who managed Johnson at Sunderland when the revelations came to light, strongly agreed that his former player should be given another chance in professional football.

Allardyce, who was named England manager after he left Sunderland, said: “If you’ve served your punishment, you’ve served your punishment.

“A lot of people will disagree with that, but will he get back into football? It’s difficult to have three years out and actually play football again. So, at the moment it’s a big question mark about whether he can reach the level of professional football again when, psychologically, [you don’t know] what damage it’s caused him, let alone physically. He’s served his time and he deserves to do whatever he does, wherever he can.

“He will get obstacles in football where people will not want him to be at their club. That’s happened before.”

Paul Elliott, the former Celtic defender said Johnson would “need a lot of mental help and counselling”.

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Elliott added: “If he’s shown a lot of remorse, I think the way football is now, there’s a likely probability he’ll be accepted back in football.”