Manchester United defender Harry Maguire banned from driving for speeding

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been banned from driving for almost three months and ordered to pay £1,052 after he admitted driving at 85mph in a 50mph zone near Manchester Airport.

The 31-year-old England international was caught speeding twice in a three-day period last March.Bolton Magistrates' Court heard the England international was captured on camera driving his Range Rover at 85mph coming out of a tunnel on Wilmslow Road, under the runway of Manchester Airport, on March 5 last year.Prosecutor Karen Allanson said: "We were unable to offer the defendant a fixed penalty due to the high speed."Maguire had already pleaded guilty to the offence on 2 October, the court heard. In Maguire's absence, his solicitor Gwyn Lewis said: "Of course the speed is wholly excessive and I fully accept that."He said Maguire was a "wealthy individual" and would be able to pay a fine within 28 days.

The court heard at the time of the offence Maguire already had three penalty points on his licence, relating to an offence on 16 March 2021.On 7 March last year, two days after the incident, he was caught speeding again and had since received three penalty points, Mr Lewis said.He added: "He was offered a speed awareness course but unfortunately because he was away from this country in the summer he wasn’t able to take up the course."If magistrates had handed Maguire six points for the Wilmslow Road offence, he could have faced a longer ban.Chairman of the bench Mark Hardman said: "We are prepared to exercise our discretion due to Mr Maguire being out of the country and not being able to take part in his speeding course."He fined Maguire £666 and ordered him to pay £120 costs and a £266 surcharge.