Sex-tape duo find new clubs after Leicester axe
Two of the three players sacked by Premier League club Leicester City after appearing in a racist sex video have found new clubs, it was announced Friday.
Goalkeeper Adam Smith has been snapped up by League Two (fourth tier) side Northampton Town on a two-year deal, while striker Tom Hopper has signed a contract with League One (third tier) Scunthorpe United, with the length of that deal unknown.
Smith, Hopper and midfielder James Pearson -- the son of Leicester boss Nigel -- were sacked earlier this month after a video emerged of the three players racially abusing a Thai women on Leicester's end of season tour of Thailand.
The leaked video, from the club's end-of-season 'goodwill tour', showed the three players making several crude remarks, including one of two Thai women being called a "slit-eye".
Following an internal investigation, Leicester -- whose owners are the Thai father-and-son combination of businessmen Vichai and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha -- terminated the players' contracts.
Pearson is now the only one of the three players yet to find a new club for next season.
Goalkeeper Smith, who never made a first-team appearance for Leicester, had six loan spells during his time at the King Power Stadium.
Smith, speaking to reporters on Friday, apologised for his part in the video and vowed to mend his ways.
"Obviously everyone knows I got myself in a situation that I'm deeply ashamed of and sorry for. I'm pleased the manager here has given me a second chance and it's down to me," he said.
"We're all deeply ashamed and sorry -- all three of us that took part in it."
Meanwhile, Hopper, who had a loan spell with Scunthorpe last season scoring four goals in 12 appearances, returns to Glanford Park where he'll play under Mark Robins.
A Scunthorpe club statement read: "The club would like to make it clear that we are fully aware of the recent publicity surrounding the young striker and have put a considerable amount of thought into the decision to sign him.
"However, Tom is a player that we are very much aware of, having signed him on loan last season, and we feel that we know his true character, which was not represented by this regrettable incident."