Premier League: Sam Allardyce feels "let down" by Adam Johnson

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce says Adam Johnson pleading guilty to child sex offences was a "massive shock" for him. The talented footballer, aged 28, now faces a jail sentence after being found guilty of sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. Sunderland have kept him in the squad and played him until the start of the trial, but the club decided to sack him immediately after he changed his pleas from not guilty to an admission of two charges. "It was a massive shock," said Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce. "Justice has been done, he's let everybody down." The manager and the club have fully supported their player as he denied all charges. But right on the first day of the trial, probably on the advice of his lawyers, Johnson pleaded guilty on two offences. "My position was just what I'd heard from Adam. But him changing his plea was a shock, while with the end verdict you can have nothing but sympathy for the victim," added Allardyce. In an official statement, the club rejected insinuations that they "knew all along that Mr Johnson was intending to change his plea just before trial to enable him to continue to play football for the club and that the club may also have been involved in tactical discussions about the plea". Sunderland are 4/11 at Bet365 to get relegated from the Premier League this season.