Adam Johnson and long-term partner Stacey Flounders during his court case (Image: PA)
It has been a decade since disgraced former footballer Adam Johnson was jailed. The 38-year-old remains banished from the game following his conviction for sexual activity with a 15-year-old Sunderland fan and child grooming, which resulted in a six-year prison sentence.
The former Manchester City and Sunderland winger was found guilty of one further offence of sexual activity with a child and found not guilty on a second count of the same crime. He served half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence in March 2019. During his time at City, Johnson resided in a £4m mansion that had previously belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo and pocketed £80,000 per week. Yet while the premature end of his footballing career is thought to have cost him around £10m in lost earnings and sponsorship deals, he had already accumulated sufficient wealth to remain financially secure for life.
He has rebuilt his life with the support of his partner and the mother of his two children, Stacey Flounders. She initially stood by Johnson during his court case before ending their relationship, though the couple reconciled during the pandemic and have since resettled in the north-east.
Having previously resided in a £1.8m six-bedroom property within a gated community, the pair downsized to a more modest £470,000 home but continue to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Johnson remains out of work and is frequently spotted at his local golf club.
An unnamed family member told the Daily Mail that their lifestyle helped Flounders overcome any reservations about their relationship. They said: “Money will have played a part. He hasn’t worked since he ended his football career.
“He put away enough money during his playing career that they can live a very good lifestyle without worrying. They have a nice life, the children won’t want for anything.”
Johnson once earned tens of thousands of pounds a week (Image: Getty Images)
Johnson’s aunt, Irene Welsh, described Johnson as “happy” and said he “keeps himself busy and has lots of friends.” He has been spotted in local pubs, with locals describing him as a “Mr Average type.” One remarked: “I have seen him a few times round here since then, mainly with his family, and he seems a regular guy.”
A former team-mate portrayed him as a “typically suburban dad” with a newfound sense of “calm and acceptance,” adding that he “has finally been tamed.”
Flounders, a former air hostess, has been credited with taming him. She refused to believe he was a paedophile, telling the Mail in 2019 that she considered him a sex addict instead. She said: “To be honest, I don’t see Adam as a paedophile.
“For me, a paedophile is somebody who abuses tiny young children. I think that he was a sex addict. He told me he was a sex addict.”
Flounders has been credited for ‘taming’ Johnson (Image: Getty Images)
Regarding what persuaded Flounders to remain with Johnson, a childhood friend told the Mail: “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.”
Despite lobbying numerous clubs to take him on, Johnson has been unable to revive his career. Now in his late-30s, it seems highly unlikely that he will ever feature in the sport again.
