David Goodwillie: former Raith Rovers player vows to ‘finally tell my truth’
Footballer David Goodwillie has pledged to “finally speak my truth” after plans to sign with an Australian semi-pro team were torn up amid another fans’ backlash.
The disgraced former Scotland striker has become an outcast in the sport since his toxic move to Raith Rovers in 2022 propelled the club into chaos.
Goodwillie was ruled to be a rapist in a civil case in 2017 and ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation. He never faced a criminal trial.
He joined the club after five years playing with, and captaining Clyde, but his arrival at Stark’s Park sparked a huge backlash. The announcement saw two directors quit, and lifelong fan and sponsor Val McDermid walk away from the club - she described the signing as “disgusting and despicable.” Around 30 volunteers quit in disgust and the club’s highly successful women’s team severed all ties with Stark’s Park and relaunched as McDermid Ladies.
While the club originally doubled down on its signing stating it was a “footballing decision” the player never made a single appearance before being shipped back to Clyde where he found the doors closed too after North Lanarkshire Council, which owned the stadium, took a stand and refused to let him return to the place which had been his footballing home for five seasons.
Since then Goodwillie has toiled to re-start his career with several clubs signing him only to tear up his contract in the face of further negative reaction.
The latest U-turn came as he prepared to fly out to Australia to play with second-tier side FC Sorrento who described him as a player with "real quality and experience" only to terminate their deal after fans protested.
In the immediate aftermath, Goodwillie posted on Instagram that he was now going to “finally tell speak my truth.” He said he owned it to his family to speak in the face of what he said was “misinformation.”
Goodwillie write: “For the past year I have actively tried to speak with the tabloids/news/interviewers anyone that would listen and had the same outcome, they weren’t willing to give me a platform to tell my side, I was told they would come across hypocritical.
“I’m going to take the next few days and write everything down and share it with whoever wants to hear what I have to say.
“I owe it to my wife and children, a lot has been said that is misinformation, I have been silenced for long enough, there will nothing off the table, and after that if anyone has any questions on what I have to say, I will try and answer them all in time.”