Lincoln City have terminated the loan deal of Jack Diamond with immediate effect, due to criminal charges being brought against him, as per Sunderland’s official website.
23-year-old Diamond has been charged with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, and will not feature for the Imps again.
He has been on loan with the Imps since the end of the summer window, starting 29 Football League matches, and bagging six goals. However, three of those came in one game against Bristol Rovers, and the other three have been penalties. He’s only scored twice in open play in the league, both against the Gas, and has failed to impress in recent weeks.
Diamond arrived with plenty of potential, having impressed against us, and stood out for Harrogate as they stepped up into league football. He started his Imps career well, with four goals in a week, which ensured he was the only Lincoln player (so far) to earn a Team of the Week card on FIFA 23, rewarding outstanding performances from across Europe.
There was chatter around Sunderland recalling him ‘due to his form’ in January, but much of that was based on his goal return, which had been boosted by penalties. Indeed, despite showing plenty of promise, in recent weeks he has flattered to deceive, running up blind alleys and often making poor decisions in key areas. He’s been dropped twice, but on both occasions came on as a sub, with his most recent outing against Fleetwood forced due to an early injury elsewhere on the field.
The winger has started 12 games for Sunderland and scored just once in the league, against us in the 202021 season. He will return to Sunderland with immediate effect, but the decision is not purely based on football. He has been suspended by his club due to the criminal charges brought by the CPS.
It brings the number of loanees at the club down to six for the final few matches of the season and opens the door for an extended run on the flak for Mide Shodipo or Charles Vernam.
- An earlier version of this article did not mention the nature of the charges brought against Diamond. This was because the news of his suspension was released prior to BBC News reporting on the exact charges. We did NOT intentionally omit those charges to play down the seriousness, nor would we ever knowingly understate such alleged offences.
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