Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood have been cleared of all criminal charges one year after he was charged with rape, assault and using coercive behaviour, authorities in UK announced.

His trial was initially scheduled to begin in November this year but the withdrawal of key witnesses and the emergence of new evidence abruptly changed the direction of the situation.

Greenwood was arrested in January last year by the Greater Manchester Police and charged with one count of attempted rape, a count sexual assault and repeatedly engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour following a series of clips of the incident posted on social media by his alleged ex girlfriend.

Immediately after the arrest, the England international was released on bail and had remained suspended from the first team squad by Manchester United pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. He was rearrested in November 2022 for breaking his bail conditions before he was released on bail again.

In a surprising twist on Thursday afternoon, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that “the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”

The CPS added: “In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case. We have explained our decision to all parties. We would always encourage any potential victims to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”

Meanwhile, the club is yet to release a statement about the latest development as speculation continues to build up about the future of the youngster, currently on a £75,000-a-week wage in a contract that runs until summer of 2025.