They will all be cleared, says Adams

14 April 2012

Micky Adams believes his Leicester City players will be proved innocent in the next 10 days, after claiming the evidence against them is flawed.

After Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie returned to training yesterday, the defiant Yorkshireman insisted they were guilty of nothing but a late-night drink.

Adams is questioning the veracity of statements by the three German women whose accusations led to the players being held on charges of sexual assault in La Manga.

All three players have been included in Leicester's reserve match at Southampton tonight after a meeting with their boss, who said he will assess their frame of mind before deciding whether to include them in the first team against Everton on Saturday.

'I wasn't hiding anything away when I said last week that they were guilty of having a late-night drink,' said Adams. 'And, until someone can show me some evidence to the contrary, then that's all they are guilty of doing.

'Because of the way things were conducted in Spain, it could have been anybody that the girls picked on. When I was summoned, I threw 21 passports at the police. If I had added my coaching staff to that, it would have made 28.

'Those three are unlucky - it could have been any other three. It could have been anyone picked out by the girls. It could have been my assistant manager, Alan Cork, up on a charge - it could have been anyone. It was random. In theory, it could have been me.'

Adams is confident that vital forensic evidence will clear his players. 'I appreciate what some people have said, that I've been let down,' he said. 'We are holding our own internal inquiry. What happens if 14 of them were drinking? I cannot suspend all of them. I've got to find out who was there and who wasn't.

'But some of the stuff coming out from the other side is disappointing. We will keep our own counsel and let the Spanish judicial system take its course. But it is one-sided.

'The boys cannot have their say at the moment. I think they are right not to say anything. The truth will out. We are hammering three players and they are guilty of nothing at the moment.

'I think this is a week or 10 days away from being sorted out, with the case being dropped. I've got to trust what I've been told. Some of the evidence has not come to light yet. Hopefully, it will do in the next 10 days.'

But it is clear Adams felt isolated by both the managers' (LMA) and players' (PFA) unions. 'Both could have been more helpful over this,' he said, hinting at a perceived lack of help when the story first broke.

However, Mick McGuire, the deputy chief executive of the PFA, said: 'We have been in constant contact with Leicester's chief executive, the lawyers, players and even one of the players' wives. There was no point in us going over to Spain when the players were banged up.'

John Barnwell, chairman of the LMA, added: 'I'm surprised at his comments because his director of football, Dave Bassett, is on hand as a senior member of the association to help him. I'm sure if there had been anything Dave felt he could have helped with to ease the problems, he would have called us.'

Leicester captain Matt Elliott has joined First Division play-off hopefuls Ipswich on a one-month loan and is expected to go straight into the squad for today's trip to Walsall.

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They will all be cleared, says Adams

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