Former England And Premier League Footballer Arrested At Airport Over Attempted Rape Allegation

A former England international footballer has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape after being stopped by Border Force officers at Stansted Airport, according to reports.

The ex-Premier League player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was intercepted on Sunday evening as he passed through passport control while preparing to board a budget flight out of the UK, according to Daily Star.

His detention followed a complaint made several weeks ago by a former partner, who alleged that the footballer attempted to rape her during their relationship.

Specialist officers have since interviewed the woman and offered her support services, the Sun reported.

“He was walking through passport control when he was discreetly pulled aside by Border Force. There was clearly an issue and he was led away,” the newspaper quoted a source.

Police were alerted and officers travelled to the airport to make the arrest.

The suspect was taken to a local police station, where he was processed, including fingerprinting, DNA sampling and a custody photograph. Detectives questioned him for several hours before releasing him on bail.

In a statement, Essex Police confirmed: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our enquiries.”

The investigation remains ongoing.