Burnley’s Dale Stephens has been given a 12-month driving ban before the club’s biggest game of the season.
The midfielder, whose side face Everton in a key relegation clash on Wednesday, was convicted on Tuesday after being stopped by police investigating the thefts of five Range Rovers.
The 32-year-old was pulled over on March 15 by a patrol who mistakenly believed Stephens’ £40,000 Range Rover Sport had been stolen in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle, home to a number of Premier League players.
It is thought the officers were about to let Stephens go, after establishing that he owned the vehicle, but then noticed he smelled of alcohol.