A High Court judge has ruled that a Premier League footballer at the centre of a blackmail claim involving a woman he allegedly had a one-night stand with should be named.

The player, who is said to have a long-term partner and a young child, is alleged to have had sexual relations with a fitness instructor in her 30s after meeting at his club's Christmas party last December.

The woman in question was reportedly given an offer from a national newspaper to tell her story, which caused the player to apply for anonymity, in which he was successful.

It has been reported that the woman demanded £100,000 from the footballer to remain silent about their liaison, and while the pair did not meet again, explicit messages and pictures were allegedly shared following their tryst.

According to The Telegraph, Mr Justice Warby has ruled that the footballer should be named in order to prevent innocent Premier League stars from being linked to the story.

The footballer has 10 days to make representations to the Court of Appeal.