Father-of-two Terry's identity was kept secret after an injunction was granted at a private hearing on January 22.

It covered the alleged relationship between LNS - as married Terry, 29, was referred to in court - and another woman, details about it, including certain specific consequences, information leading to their identification and any photographs.

But yesterday Mr Justice Tugendhat lifted the order at London's High Court.

In his anonymised judgment, which does not name the woman, the judge said Terry accepted the truth of certain information covered by the order.

"I do not know whether or not LNS considers that those matters were acceptable for a person in LNS's position in life."

He said the woman was also a "famous person" but not in the world of sport and not as famous as LNS, who had a number of high-profile sponsorship deals including three very well-known brand names.

He said LNS wanted the court to consider the privacy rights of the woman and other interested individuals and had said that he had not told one of the interested persons about the relationship.

"That is not the same as saying that person does not know about it.

"I do not find it credible that rumours that have circulated as widely as the rumours in this case are said to have circulated have not yet reached the ears of at least the first interested person.

"If they have not yet got that far, they surely will do very soon."

The judge said that it was likely that the nub of LNS's complaint was the protection of reputation, and not of any other aspect of his private life.

He added: "Freedom to live as one chooses is one of the most valuable freedoms.

"But so is the freedom to criticise - within the limits of the law - the conduct of other members of society as being socially harmful, or wrong."

Last night a Chelsea spokesman said: "This is a personal matter for John Terry.

"The club will give John and his family all the support they need in dealing with it."

The judge, who heard that News Group Newspapers - publisher of the News of the World - wanted to print a story about the footballer last Sunday, said: "I accept that the information sought to be protected is not in the public domain in the sense that there is nothing left to be protected."

Tom Crone, News of the World legal manager, said: "We welcome Mr Justice Tugendhat's decision as a long overdue breath of fresh air and common sense coming out of the privacy courts.

"Over recent years, there has been more prior restraint on freedom of speech in Britain than in any other democratic country in the world.

"Gagging orders like the one sought by John Terry have been granted to numerous other Premier League footballers and assorted celebrities.

"Hopefully today's victory by the News of the World will lead to a fundamental reassessment of our draconian privacy laws.

"The British public's right to know has been the victim of this legal process. Hopefully that will now change."

Terry - voted Dad of the Year last year in a Daddies Sauce survey - is thought to have travelled with his Chelsea team-mates to Burnley for their Premier League match this afternoon.