Adam Johnson's new ground isn't quite as fancy as the Stadium of Light...

IT’S PITCH PERFECT: Nonce Johnson can play at Moorland jail when he transfers there

The former England winger’s last game for Sunderland was against Liverpool when he scored a vital goal in a 2-2 draw.

That match was watched by more than 44,000 fans who contributed to a spine-tingling atmosphere at Anfield.

However, the next time he steps onto a football field will be when he graces HMP Moorland’s all-weather pitch with other sex offenders for a kickabout.

DIFFERENT STAGE: Johnson’s last match for Sunderland was in front of 44,000 fans at Anfield

And the “crowd” will consist of fellow pervs and a couple of prison officers keeping an eye on them.

The category C jail, near Doncaster, south Yorks, also has a smaller grass pitch for five-a-side games.

Prison bosses encourage convicts to arrange matches among themselves to relieve pressure and boredom.

But sex criminals are strictly segregated from the rest of the lags in order to prevent attacks on them.

A source revealed: “It will probably hit Johnson very hard when he walks out on to that pitch for a game.

SETTINGS: Johnson is currently being held at Armley jail in Leeds

"It will be a stark reminder of just how far he has fallen – from stepping out at Anfield to playing football with a load of other perverts.

"The staff won’t let him languish in his cell, they will want him out on the pitch because it is good exercise.”

The dad-of-one, 28, who was sentenced for grooming and sexually touching a girl, is expected to be transferred to the prison any day.

Moorland also runs NVQ courses in gym instruction, performance and nutrition as well as sports and recreation if the player wants to take a qualification to pass the time during his six-year sentence.

FALL FROM GRACE: The disgraced star was once on £60,000 per week

The disgraced star, once on £60,000 per week, had been expected to be sent to tough Frankland jail near his home in the north-east of England.

But the Prison Service decided the risk of him being attacked by vengeful lags at the County Durham facility was too great.

He is currently at Leeds’ Armley jail and he will be required to undergo a sex offender treatment programme at his new home.

Moorland has had problems with drugs, legal highs and mobile phones being smuggled in or thrown over the wall.

A report by prison visiting group the Independent Monitoring Board revealed there were more than 300 searches last year for contraband.

The report said: “During the year some prisoners were taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for treatment due to the use of modified drugs.

"There were 367 intelligence led searches during the annual report period of which 177 were specifically looking for mobile phones and 197 specifically for drugs.

"However, despite these measures it is still recognised that drugs and mobile phones remain a problem.”