The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed that convicted rapist and former Sheffield United striker Ched Evans would not be allowed to resume his career overseas.
Maltese side Hibernians had said on Friday that they wanted to sign Evans, who left prison in October after serving half of a five-year term for raping a woman in a hotel in May 2011, on a deal until the end of the season.
But a MoJ spokesperson said that strict conditions imposed on sex offenders effectively rules out working abroad, The BBC reported.
The spokesperson also said that they are determined to have one of the toughest regimes in the world for managing sex offenders, to stop them re-offending and to protect victims.
He revealed that probation officers must give permission for sex offenders on licence to take up new jobs and this includes ensuring they hold regular face-to-face meetings, adding that this effectively rules out working abroad.
The spokesperson also said that the offenders would also be subject to strict conditions such as exclusion zones, non-contact orders and having to attend sex offender treatment programmes.
Clarification of the MoJ's stance comes amid disputed reports that Evans had been offered the chance to play for Hibernians.
The Maltese club's vice-president Stephen Vaughan said that an offer had been made to the Wales international striker, but on Saturday a spokesman for Evans denied that claim.
Evans' spokesman said that there have been numerous false stories, and stories of which the striker knows nothing about, of which this was one.
Evans played for Sheffield United at the time of his conviction and, after his release from prison, was given permission to use the League One club's training facilities, but the club later retracted their offer after strong opposition from some supporters and club patrons, the report added.
