An open letter to THAT footballer.

Don't panic I'm not going to name you, but hey there can't be anyone in the country who doesn't know who you are by now. After all you've threatened to sue anyone who does haven't you, that fits great with your family man image doesn't it.

We are of similar age you and I, I watched your first season and was in awe of what a player you were, and have followed your career ever since. I always had you down as one of the good guys, but now after what you have tried to do recently I can't even look at you anymore.

What you do in your private life is up to you, however when you get paid money to promote items that are aimed at kids, who walk around with your name on the back of their very expensive replica shirts then how dare you hide behind the law of the land.

You have only yourself to blame for this absolute mess you have created in the the twilight of your career haven't you? Yet you portray her as a blackmailer, which she clearly isn't is she and you know that, I hope your proud of yourself.

I have very little sympathy for her either, she knew you were married with kids yet you were the one who could and should have walked away. You didn't though did you and now you hide behind very expensive lawyers threatening to have anyone who names you thrown into jail or sued. Your an utter disgrace.

You stood there a few years ago getting the sports personality of the year award and I remember thinking that I couldn't have been more pleased for you. The way you told your kids to go to bed after they had seen you get the award really touched me. That's a good level headed footballer, I thought, never caught up in a scandal a real role model, how wrong we all were.

This was the best quote of the lot which the judge told The Sun newspaper today when he once again refused to lift the injunction "The courts duty remains to try and protect the claimant, and particularly his family, from intrusion and harassment for as long as it can". (Source BBC news website)

Brilliant isn't it? You show no thought or feeling for your family, you go off and have an affair and when you get caught the judge takes your side. I feel sorry for your wife and kids in all of this, the innocent parties once again. If you were a normal bloke in the street no one would care would they?. Your not though are you, you are someone who earns a living by expecting people to pay to watch you, to buy the products you endorse and then when you do something wrong you play the privacy card. I'm sorry but this is in the public interest whether you like it or not.

The sad thing is if you had been man enough to admit you did wrong, apologise to your wife and family after it hit the papers, then this would have blown over long ago. You are turning into a PR nightmare and unfortunately a once great footballer will always be remembered as the idiot who tried to sue the county because he couldn't keep his penis in his pants. I hope your proud of yourself mate.