A MARRIED England footballer silenced his secret lover by making her sign a controversial gagging order.
Last night the Prem star’s actions were condemned as “intimidating behaviour” by a women’s group.
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The married cheat is said to have “intimidated” the single mum into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and accepting £20,000 hush money.
The brazen footballer, who has played for the Three Lions, had sneaked off for a series of hotel romps with the woman, before and after he wed his oblivious wife.
However, the wealthy star then insisted she sign an NDA to keep quiet, hiring £500-an-hour lawyers to issue a flurry of warning letters.
Teresa Parker, communications chief at Women’s Aid, said: “It is horrendous for a woman to be faced with intimidating behaviour from a football player, whereby she feels forced to sign an NDA and delete photos and messages.
“We run a campaign — Football United Against Domestic Violence — that tries to promote healthy relationships, and footballers using financial power and status to legally intimidate women is abusive.
“We need to stand up against controlling behaviour in relationships together. It is unacceptable.”
The woman claimed the star got “aggressive” when she initially refused to co-operate and said he told her: “I know where you live.”
At one stage she was pressured to delete photos and messages.
She felt “coerced” into eventually signing the NDA and accepting a £20,000 pay-off.
Despite the order, he has still been in contact with the woman, who he first hooked up with in 2019.
The use of NDAs to control and silence women has previously sparked widespread fury — and charities condemned the unnamed Premier League player last night.
Teresa Parker added: “Time and time again we have seen footballers and people in power use an NDA as a way of feeling invincible.
“They use it as a tool to control. They have unlimited resources and use these to silence women from telling their truth.”
NDAs are common in commercial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, and help protect confidential information.
But they have also been increasingly deployed by public figures including shamed film mogul Harvey Weinstein who silenced victims of alleged sexual assault.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates law firms, issued a warning notice about their improper use in 2020.
A report on sexual harassment at work by the Women and Equalities Committee also said they are being used to silence victims.
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