Footballer Benjamin Mendy was all smiles as he arrived at a local kick-about in Manchester just two days after being cleared of rape.
The ex-Man City footballer, 28, donned his former team’s kit as he met with local lads at the Powerleague venue, who were ‘shocked’ when he asked to join in their five-a-side game.
The former Premier League star had turned up unannounced to the sports complex in Ardwick on Sunday after being cleared by a jury on Friday of carrying out sex attacks on two women at his £4million mansion.
Photos shared on Twitter show him beaming and laughing as he interacts with a group of local young fans.
After being cleared of all charges at Chester Crown Court last week, Mendy wept and said ‘Praise be to God’.
He was cleared after three hours of deliberation by a jury – and broke down in the dock afterwards before saying he was ‘delighted’ with the not guilty verdicts.
Mendy had faced a retrial on one count of rape and one count of attempted rape during lockdown-busting parties.
He is now a free man but without a club after his Man City contract expired at the end of June and having played his last game for the Premier League champions in August 2021.
The French international defender was already cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a court case in January.
His lawyers said he would now ‘rebuild his life’ – and a return to top flight football is now likely.
The emotional star declined to comment outside court only to say: ‘Alhamdulillah’ – an Arabic phrase meaning: ‘Praise be to God’.
Jenny Wiltshire, Head of Serious & General Crime at Hickman & Rose, said on Friday: ‘Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focussing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset.
