The player had cited his sponsorship deals when taking out the High Court injunction. Lifting the gagging order on Friday, Mr Justice Tugendhat commented that "the nub of the applicant's complaint is to protect his reputation, in particular with sponsors". But he decided that was not a sufficient reason to ban publication of the allegations.

The player is the face of sportswear brand Umbro and also works with Samsung. Neither would comment on their deals with him, but a Swedish betting company, Svenska Spel, which has used Terry in the last, said it would not work with him again.

The player also advertises the computer-gaming series Pro Evolution Soccer and, as England captain, has a relationship with the national team's sponsors, Nationwide. A spokesman for the building society described the revelations as "private matter".