Ecuador international Enner Valencia has broken his silence in the row over alleged unpaid child maintenance to protect the "image of my family and myself".
The Everton striker, on loan from West Ham, was accused of failing to pay a significant sum to his former partner, Sinthyia Pinargote Chumo, for the upkeep of their daughter.
Valencia was chased by police after he left the pitch on a stretcher during Ecuador's 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile last week, although the warrant for his arrest has since been withdrawn.
The 26-year-old has now released a statement via his official Twitter and Instagram accounts in order to offer his side of events.
His message reads: "In relation to the events of the past few days, regarding the alleged breach of my obligations to my daughter Beira Valencia Pinargote, who is five years old, as a result of a series of comments without foundation, I feel the need to make the following clarifications, in order not only to clarify the facts, but to honour the image of my family and myself, both personally and professionally.
"Coming from a humble and hardworking family, who since childhood have helped me to face all manner of difficult things that have been present throughout my life, managing to achieve the goals I have, raised from helping my father, selling milk in the streets, to my beginning with Club Sport Emelec, to become a professional player, but above all to be a person guided by God, it has allowed me to develop attributes to form a stable and happy marriage with my wife Sharon and my daughters Beira and Amelia.
"However, I am currently facing several lawsuits initiated by Sinthyia Pinargote Chumo, which I perceive are aimed exclusively on matters of economic and personal gain, such as the demand for maintenance, presented in 2015, where I set the amount of 30,000 US dollars a month as alimony.
"Within the last two years, despite spending a sum estimated to be 100,000 US dollars, for pensions of food, which can be verified on the website of the judiciary, she has prevented me strengthening my relationship with my daughter, because her mother prevents me from exercising any contact on my visits when I am in Ecuador.
"After talking with my family, we have made the decision to file a lawsuit, seeking custody of my daughter Beira, aiming for her to come live and study in England, where I live now, so she can grow in a stable environment, with the necessary conditions for her development.
"That application was granted in December 2015, the judiciary bestowing me custody of my daughter Beira, and suspending all alimony monthly payments to Mrs. Sinthyia Pinargorte."
