Wayne Rooney Banned From Driving After Manchester United Humiliation

Former England captain Wayne Rooney was on Monday banned from driving for two years and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to a drink driving charge at Stockport Magistrates’ Court.

The Everton forward was charged after being stopped by police while driving a black Volkswagen Beetle in Wilmslow, Cheshire, at 2am on 1st September. The car belonged to a woman he had met in the Bubble Room bar in Alderley Edge on a night out.

The Court which is located in the northwest of England, heard Rooney was almost three times over the legal drink-drive limit. A breathalyser test showed his alcohol level was 104 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath.

The drink-drive limit in England and Wales is 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath.

The 31-year-old was wearing his wedding ring and made no comment when he arrived at Court on Monday, barely 24 hours after playing in Everton’s 4-0 deafeat against his former club Manchester United.

Rooney, whose wife Coleen is pregnant with their fourth child, apologised for his “unforgivable lack of judgement” after his guilty plea.

“Following today’s court hearing I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgement in driving while over the legal limit. It was completely wrong,” he said in a statement.

“I have already said sorry to my family, my manager and chairman and everyone at Everton FC. Now I want to apologise to all the fans and everyone else who has followed and supported me throughout my career.

“Of course I accept the sentence of the court and hope that I can make some amends through my community service.”

Rooney’s legal team asked the judge to consider not imposing a community order because of his ongoing charitable work.

However, the judge said he was “not convinced” that imposing a large fine “would have the same effect”.

The former United captain was given a warm welcome and left to a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 82nd minute of a comfortable victory for the home side when he returned to Old Trafford on Sunday for the first time since leaving Manchester United to rejoin Everton.