Piers Morgan backs Sunderland winger after 'two years of hell'

Sunderland winger Jack Diamond has given his first interview since being cleared of rape charges and found an ally in Piers Morgan.

Sunderland midfielder Jack Diamond has been backed by Piers Morgan after giving his first interview since being cleared of rape charges.

Diamond was accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder and was suspended by Sunderland for two years while the case went to court.

That put what was a very promising career on hold, immediately ending his loan spell at Lincoln City and forcing him to defend himself.

Last month, Diamond was found not guilty in court after a jury needed just minutes to deem the accusations unfounded.

He is giving his first interview since the trial on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show this week, and the host has given the Sunderland winger his backing, describing it as ‘every young footballer’s worst nightmare.’

“So you went through over two years of hell and it took a jury just seven minutes to clear you?,” Morgan asked.

“[It] is an emphatic repudiation of what this woman had been claiming. They just didn't believe what she was saying. But you were dragged through this hell for so long.

“And even as you sit here now, a cleared man, for the rest of your life, it'll have Jack diamond and the word rape and you'll be forever associated with that.”

Diamond has now started the process of attempting to rebuild his career, starting with a loan to League One side Carlisle.

"So you went through two years of hell and it took a jury just seven minutes to clear you?"

Footballer Jack Diamond speaks to @piersmorgan for the first time since being cleared of raping a woman he met on Tinder.

Watch more on tonight's PMU: https://t.co/jyWXbKM2md#PMU pic.twitter.com/YMi9tLQt7M

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) February 8, 2024

His debut didn’t go well, though, with him having to come off injured in the first half against Leyton Orient – and he said the kind of stigma Morgan was talking about has already firmly attached itself.

“I came off injured,” Diamond said. “Obviously, at that point, I was annoyed anyways, but then I've had to walk around the whole pitch because you can't just walk off for quickness. And obviously I got the chants straight away.”

Asked by Morgan what the chants were, the winger said: “’She said no, Diamond. She said no.’”

The full interview can be seen on Thursday night’s edition of the show on Talk TV.

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