EXCLUSIVE: Ched Evans seen smoking a shisha pipe during rowdy session in Budapest bar with his new teammates in pre-season bonding trip

Footballer Ched Evans has been pictured drinking and smoking ahead of his return to professional football with League One Chesterfield.

The Welsh striker is due to be retried over a rape allegation later this year after a previous conviction was overturned on appeal. Chesterfield sparked controversy by giving the 27-year-old a 12-month contract, meaning he can play up at least until his retrial.

The player seems to have wasted no time in getting back into the swing of a footballer's life and was seen drinking and smoking from a shisha pipe in Budapest last week.

Ched Evans was pictured drinking in Budapest with his new Chesterfield teammates last week and smoking a shisha pipe in a bar

Witnesses said the footballers were behaving rowdily, allegedly smashing shisha pipes and 'running relays' to the bar for beer and shots

A witness who was in the Szimpla Kert bar in the Hungarian capital said Evans and a number of other Chesterfield players were behaving like 'spoiled brats'.

She told MailOnline: 'As soon as we walked in the Chesterfield team were sat just through the doorway to our left with two shisha pipes on their table and multiple jagerbombs.

'One shisha was then smashed leading to the bouncers coming over to have a word and asked them to calm down or they would be out.

'The team were doing relays back and forth to the bar bringing more and more shots and beers. A play fight broke out with sent the second shisha off the table. Security came over and told them they were too rowdy and it was time to leave.'

The players were in eastern Europe for a training week ahead of the new football season. The club described the trip as a pre-season 'work-out' which they hoped would help their new signings to settle in.

Evans' teammate Daniel Jones told the club's website: 'The training schedule in Hungary was very demanding, but very good and very enjoyable.'

Evans - who is awaiting a re-trial for rape - was seen smoking a shisha pipe at the venue this week as he chatted to teammates and women

The player was among his Chesterfield teammates in a bar in the Hungarian capital on Thursday. Witnesses said the players were being rowdy

He said of Evans: 'We saw in Hungary what he can do in training. He's going to give us something a lot different to what the fans have seen here in past years. He wants goals and you can see in training that it's all he thinks about.'

Media manager Iain Pearce said of the trip: 'It is intense, competitive, unforgiving and the cushy life professional footballers are often accused of having comes only with reams of dedicated hard work.'

In his online 'tour diary', he admitted the players had 'headed into Budapest for the first time for some well-earned downtime in the capital'. 

But the team lost a friendly with Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 on Saturday after returning from Budapest.

Evans was prevented from playing in that match over fears that the former Sheffield United player would be targeted by a 'hate mob' among his former rivals' supporters.

Asked about the video footage, a club spokesman said: 'At the end of an intensive week-long training camp, the players were given some time to socialise.

'The club has not received any complaints about their behaviour. If, however, any players are found to have breached club discipline, the appropriate action will be taken.' 

After Evans' arrival, Derbyshire-based fitting company HTM Products, which has sponsored Chesterfield for six years, said it will no longer do so.

Evans and his teammates were seen chatting to a group of women in the bar in the Szimpla Kert, Budapest on Thursday evening

A video appears to show a player, believed to be Charlie Raglan, remonstrating with a group of women who are chanting 'Cheerio'

A post on the HTM Products Derbyshire LTD Facebook page said: 'In light of recent events, HTM products has ceased all sponsorship arrangements with Chesterfield football club. Jon Knapp-Managing Director.'

When contacted, HTM would not elaborate on the decision.

Evans will be in court on October 4 charged with raping a woman in May 2011. He has pleaded not guilty.

The former Manchester City and Norwich player was jailed in 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman but the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction in April.

Upon signing for Chesterfield last month, Evans said he felt 'excited and privileged' to be offered the chance to resume his football career.