Convicted rapist Ched Evans has moved step a closer to returning to professional football after it was revealed he will start training with former club Sheffield United this week. More than 150,000 people have signed an online petition urging the club not to let him return after he was jailed for five years for raping a 19-year-old in hotel room in front of friends. He was released last month and continues to deny he raped the girl in a Premier Inn in his hometown of Rhyl, north Wales. Evans will not be paid for his time back with the club on a PFA-style trial with the Blades, who plan to release a statement later this week. Controversial: Rapist Ched Evans will start training with his former club Sheffield United this week despite 150,000 people demanding the club turn him away . New start: Ched Evans is to marry his fiancée Natasha Massey after proposing shortly after he was released from prison, where he served half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old girl . Man City (2007-09): 16 games, 1 goal . Norwich (loan, 2007-08): 28 games, 10 goals . Sheff Utd (2009-12): 103 games, 42 goals . Wales (2008-11): 13 games, 1 goal . But by the end of the week Evans will be training with United, where he earned £20,000 before he was jailed, and is likely to be the final step before he signs for them permanently. The club has repeatedly refused to rule out signing the player and some of its fans have been chanting his name at games since his release. Sheffield United have already contacted the Football Association to inform them of the news, according to the BBC. The former Sheffield United and Wales striker was released from Wymott prison, Lancashire in October. He then proposed to fiancée Natasha Massey, who has led the campaign against his conviction. Ms Massey appeared alongside Evans in a recent video he made, in which he insisted he was guilty only of infidelity - not the rape he was jailed for. In the video, Evans apologised to Ms Massey, who he described as 'the woman I love with all my heart'. He said: 'I've constantly regretted my act of infidelity and the damage that has been done on so many fronts because of it. Evans warms up at the Millennium Stadium ahead of Wales' Euro 2012 qualifier against England in March 2011 . 'The support that's been shown by Natasha, our friends and family during the trial and the time spent in prison has kept me strong. 'It can't have been an easy thing to stand by someone who the court found guilty of such a destructive act. I will be forever grateful. 'Even though I've been released from prison I'm determined to continue to fight to clear my name.' Ms Massey appeared to be wearing an 'engagement' ring in the video, but it is now believed to have been a 'commitment ring' Evans gave her while he was in prison. It is understood that Evans had not wanted to propose while he was in jail, but planned to asked Ms Massey to marry him as soon as he was freed. It is thought Evans, pictured with Ms Massey before he was convicted, did not want to propose from jail . Ms Massey, pictured with Evans last week, is said to be 'over the moon' after he proposed to her . Ms Massey has continued to protest Evans's innocence since he was convicted of rape in April 2012. Shortly before his release earlier this month, she wrote on the ChedEvans.com website: 'Not a minute passes when I don't think about Ched, his mental and physical strength is admirable and keeps us all positive. 'When Ched is released the fight to clear his name will continue, however long it takes this is one fight we will not lose. 'My boyfriend was wrongly convicted and we are doing everything in our power to clear his name.' She later told ITV's This Morning: ‘As soon as I found out that he’d been questioned over rape, my instinct was kind of protective of Ched, and I thought I have to stand by him. ‘So my thoughts and feelings over the cheating were put to one side and I just stepped in to help him through this terrible time. ‘I know Ched and I knew he wouldn’t be capable of committing a crime like that.’ Ms Massey, pictured on ITV's This Morning, said she put thoughts of Evans's infidelity 'to one side' Evans had been serving at HMP Wymott prison in Lancashire but was released earlier this month . Evans's own family have criticised his lack of remorse, with his aunt Nina Evans, 56, urging him to apologise to his victim. She said: ‘He deserved to go down as he was found guilty - he did rape her.’ His victim's father has also spoken out, demanding an apology from the footballer. He said: ‘He’s shown no remorse and every time he makes some fresh appeal or comment, he draws attention to my daughter and risks her being identified and found. ‘She went into hiding because people were trying to track her down and kill her.' The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently examining Evans's case  as part of his hopes to launch an appeal. He has not been re-signed by his former club or any other team since his release.
Welsh footballer jailed for five years in 2012 for raping 19-year-old woman .
150,000 signed petition demanding Sheffield United refuse to sign him .
But club has admitted that striker Evans will start training this week .
Evans will not be paid by Sheffield United while he trains with the club .
He was freed from prison earlier this month after serving half of sentence .
Evans has been criticised over lack of remorse for the crime and denies rape .
Convicted rapist Ched Evans has moved step a closer to returning to professional football after it was revealed he will start training with former club Sheffield United this week. More than 150,000 people have signed an online petition urging the club not to let him return after he was jailed for five years for raping a 19-year-old in hotel room in front of friends. He was released last month and continues to deny he raped the girl in a Premier Inn in his hometown of Rhyl, north Wales. Evans will not be paid for his time back with the club on a PFA-style trial with the Blades, who plan to release a statement later this week. Controversial: Rapist Ched Evans will start training with his former club Sheffield United this week despite 150,000 people demanding the club turn him away . New start: Ched Evans is to marry his fiancée Natasha Massey after proposing shortly after he was released from prison, where he served half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old girl . Man City (2007-09): 16 games, 1 goal . Norwich (loan, 2007-08): 28 games, 10 goals . Sheff Utd (2009-12): 103 games, 42 goals . Wales (2008-11): 13 games, 1 goal . But by the end of the week Evans will be training with United, where he earned £20,000 before he was jailed, and is likely to be the final step before he signs for them permanently. The club has repeatedly refused to rule out signing the player and some of its fans have been chanting his name at games since his release. Sheffield United have already contacted the Football Association to inform them of the news, according to the BBC. The former Sheffield United and Wales striker was released from Wymott prison, Lancashire in October. He then proposed to fiancée Natasha Massey, who has led the campaign against his conviction. Ms Massey appeared alongside Evans in a recent video he made, in which he insisted he was guilty only of infidelity - not the rape he was jailed for. In the video, Evans apologised to Ms Massey, who he described as 'the woman I love with all my heart'. He said: 'I've constantly regretted my act of infidelity and the damage that has been done on so many fronts because of it. Evans warms up at the Millennium Stadium ahead of Wales' Euro 2012 qualifier against England in March 2011 . 'The support that's been shown by Natasha, our friends and family during the trial and the time spent in prison has kept me strong. 'It can't have been an easy thing to stand by someone who the court found guilty of such a destructive act. I will be forever grateful. 'Even though I've been released from prison I'm determined to continue to fight to clear my name.' Ms Massey appeared to be wearing an 'engagement' ring in the video, but it is now believed to have been a 'commitment ring' Evans gave her while he was in prison. It is understood that Evans had not wanted to propose while he was in jail, but planned to asked Ms Massey to marry him as soon as he was freed. It is thought Evans, pictured with Ms Massey before he was convicted, did not want to propose from jail . Ms Massey, pictured with Evans last week, is said to be 'over the moon' after he proposed to her . Ms Massey has continued to protest Evans's innocence since he was convicted of rape in April 2012. Shortly before his release earlier this month, she wrote on the ChedEvans.com website: 'Not a minute passes when I don't think about Ched, his mental and physical strength is admirable and keeps us all positive. 'When Ched is released the fight to clear his name will continue, however long it takes this is one fight we will not lose. 'My boyfriend was wrongly convicted and we are doing everything in our power to clear his name.' She later told ITV's This Morning: ‘As soon as I found out that he’d been questioned over rape, my instinct was kind of protective of Ched, and I thought I have to stand by him. ‘So my thoughts and feelings over the cheating were put to one side and I just stepped in to help him through this terrible time. ‘I know Ched and I knew he wouldn’t be capable of committing a crime like that.’ Ms Massey, pictured on ITV's This Morning, said she put thoughts of Evans's infidelity 'to one side' Evans had been serving at HMP Wymott prison in Lancashire but was released earlier this month . Evans's own family have criticised his lack of remorse, with his aunt Nina Evans, 56, urging him to apologise to his victim. She said: ‘He deserved to go down as he was found guilty - he did rape her.’ His victim's father has also spoken out, demanding an apology from the footballer. He said: ‘He’s shown no remorse and every time he makes some fresh appeal or comment, he draws attention to my daughter and risks her being identified and found. ‘She went into hiding because people were trying to track her down and kill her.' The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently examining Evans's case as part of his hopes to launch an appeal. He has not been re-signed by his former club or any other team since his release.
after it was revealed he will start training with was jailed for five years for raping a of Rhyl, north Wales. Evans will not be paid for Sheffield United this week despite 150,000 people demanding the club turn him away . New start: from prison, where he served half of a five-year of infidelity - not the rape he was jailed for. act of infidelity and the damage that has been wanted to propose while he was in jail, but before his release earlier this month, she wrote his lack of remorse, with his aunt Nina Evans,