LONDON (AP):

He's young, experienced and wants to play - but Ched Evans is also a convicted rapist, and it looks like public opinion may prevent the forward from ever resuming his professional career.

Evans, 26, is out of prison after serving time for raping a 19-year-old woman in his hotel room in 2011. Yet the reaction in Britain to his possible return to the nation's favourite sport is becoming more and more vehement.

The high-profile case raises questions about the role of rehabilitation and challenges conventional wisdom that a convicted criminal who has paid for his offence should be given a chance to work. The situation is complicated by Evans' lack of remorse - he insists he is innocent and has never apologised.

Oldham, an English team that plays in the country's third-tier League One, are considering signing Evans, but major sponsors Verlin and Mecca Bingo said yesterday they will drop the team if he joins. Thousands have signed an online petition opposing his return.

"I agree, he's served his time, but it's a very serious crime," said Kath Woodward, a professor of sociology at Britain's Open University who deals extensively with sports issues. "Remorse would go some way towards ameliorating the situation. It's very disappointing that clubs like Oldham are trying to get a reasonable player cheap. It shows the management of football doesn't understand the changing times."

She said society's attitudes towards rape and sexual harassment have hardened considerably since the days when former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was able to resume his boxing career after serving time in prison for a 1992 rape.

"I can remember the idea you just have to put up with it, it's part of life, but women now are not prepared to do that," she said. "There's a lot of public feeling against him coming back, a lot of public protests. The fans genuinely don't want it."