Adam Johnson: Details on what's happened to ex-Middlesbrough and Sunderland star emerge | OneFootball

Details have emerged on what has happened to Middlesbrough academy product Adam Johnson after his career ended at Sunderland...

Adam Johnson is a disgraced former footballer who began his career at Middlesbrough, where he emerged as a promising winger before earning a move to Manchester City. He later joined Sunderland, where he had the best spell of his career.

He became a key attacking player and fan favourite at one stage for Sunderland. However, his career ended abruptly in 2016 after he was convicted of sexual activity with a minor. He was sentenced to a spell in prison, and Sunderland terminated his contract immediately.

The now 38-year-old was a Middlesbrough player from 2004-2010 but a 12-year career, including 12 England caps, ended prematurely as the conviction and imprisonment effectively ended any chance of a professional career.

It totally overshadowed any of his achievements on the pitch and leaves Johnson with a lasting negative legacy. However, further details have since emerged regarding the winger and what has happened to him since he was sentenced.

Details emerge on Adam Johnson's life after former Middlesbrough player disgraced

In 2016, he was sentenced to six years in prison for grooming and sexual activity with a girl aged 15. However, Johnson was released on 22 March 2019, after serving half of his sentence. Before his imprisonment, Johnson lived in Castle Eden, County Durham.

Upon his release from prison, he returned to live in Castle Eden in a seven-bedroom home he had built during his imprisonment. He and partner Stacey Flounders later reconciled, and had a second child, a son, who was born in July 2021.

The Daily Mail have since revealed further details regarding Johnson's situation. They explain that he once lived in a £4 million mansion that had previously belonged to former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo. Once he earned £80,000 a week and drove supercars.

But now, 10 years have elapsed since the day the former Middlesbrough player was led away from court to prison. On Johnson's release after serving half of a six-year jail sentence, it is said that he hoped he might resurrect his career, though that never materialised. Yet it might surprise many to learn he is now, in the words of one ex-team-mate, 'a typical suburban dad'.

They report that there is a new sense of 'calm and acceptance' and, that he 'has finally been tamed'. The stabilising influence is his partner, Flounders. Johnson's aunt, Irene Welsh, said: "Adam is happy and he's been able to rebuild his life after everything he has been through.

"He has been back with Stacey for a while now and they concentrate on their children. He keeps himself busy and has a lot of friends. He likes his golf and being with his family, and he has a close family around him."

Flounders, a former air hostess from Hartlepool, has come to terms with the episode after forgiving Johnson's behaviour. A friend from her school growing up explained: "Stacey knows her own mind and grew up in a very close family and, if anything persuaded her to give him another chance, it will have been to give their children a stable upbringing.

"After he was released, it didn't look as though they were going to get back together, but the pandemic struck a year after he got out and that gradually changed things. He was anxious to make up for lost time with his daughter, having missed the early part of her life in jail.

"He's a committed dad and that's why they were able to try again. They now have a second child and they are very much a happy family."

Adam Johnson's life post-prison after Sunderland career ended in 2016

The report explains that, these days, Johnson fills his days playing golf at the club near their North-East home near Sunderland. It's a new home which is a detached house he bought for £470,000 in 2021. It's stated that Johnson is a regular on the school run, though parents report he rarely mingles at the gate, preferring to remain inside his BMW car.

The Mail report that, while his disgrace cost him around £10 million in earnings and sponsorship deals, he had made enough already to ensure he would never have to work again. He remains unemployed and sticks to his family life and golf, avoiding clubs and bars in towns where he knows he will be recognised and possibly taunted.

It means he tends to socialise in quiet country pubs in the local area. However, it's not always easy for those around him. They add that, even at his golf club, he is said to have faced disquiet. It's reported that "some members reportedly felt uneasy at his presence in the bar".