A former Premier League player who was convicted of rape has had his case referred to England's Court of Appeal following a review.

Wales international Ched Evans was released from prison last year after serving half of his five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel in north Wales.

Evans, who has played for Manchester City and Sheffield United, always maintained his innocence and took the case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

After a 10-month investigation, the CRCC said Monday that a referral has been made on the basis of new information not raised at trial.

The CRCC says in a statement that there is "a real possibility that the Court of Appeal may now quash the conviction."

Earlier this year, Malta Premier League club Hibs had been linked with the player, but later the Paola club declared that it had no interest.

“What indeed occurred,” a statement by club president Anthony Bezzina said, “was that one of the club's sponsors, namely Vaughan Boxing.TV, approached Hibernians Football Club's Team Manager Jeffrey Farrugia to determine whether Hibernians Football Club could be interested in engaging Ched Evans, if such possibility arose.” But the club had said it was not interested.