Ashley Charles, 23, was accused of having sex with the woman while she slept in an East End hotel room while his boyfriend – ex-Love Island contestant Dennon Lewis – slept nearby.
But the footballer, who now practices his profession with Wealdstone FC, denied the allegation and insisted on its allegation of rape what false.
After a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Charles was found not guilty by a jury of rape and an alternate count of penetrative assault.
During the criminal proceedings, Mr Lewis – a contestant on the fifth series of ITV’s Love Island – gave testimony in support of his long-term friend.
“I got to know Ash through playing football,” he said, testifying via a video link.
“I got to know him very well, he is an incredible boy, very polite, respectful. I can’t say enough about Ash. He is a very respectful young man.”
He said he questioned the veracity of the rape allegation at the time and asked the woman “are you sure?” when she accused his friend.
Lewis, who now plays for Boreham Wood FC, met Charles during their time in Watford’s youth and remained friends, the court heard.
The court heard that the men had been in central London on March 14 last year with fellow footballer Michael Philips, at clubs Mahiki, Club Maddox and Lords London.
They were joined by two women and eventually went back to their hotel room in East London.
One of the women had consensual sex with Mr Philips and claimed in the morning that she had woken up and found Mr Charles “on top of her” having sex. But the footballer insisted the claim was false and pulled down his boxers to show his penis to his friend in an effort to prove he was not involved in sexual activity.
Charles, who lives in Watford, denied rape and an alternate charge of assault through penetration. He was found not guilty by a jury on both counts.
In a statement following the verdicts, Wealdstone FC said it is “aware of the not guilty verdict of Snaresbrook Crown Court in the case involving player Ashley Charles.
“The club can also confirm that it only became aware of the incident through the national media on Monday evening and immediately made the player unavailable for selection.
“The club will now sit down and discuss the matter with Ashley and see if he can support his integration into the squad in due course.
“We recognize that this has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved in the case.”