Manchester United star Harry Maguire handed ban after driving at 85mph in a 50mph zone

Manchester United player Harry Maguire has been banned from driving for almost two months after admitting doing 85mph in a 50mph zone.

Maguire, 31, admitted the offence and was banned for 56 days and fined £1,052 during a 20-minute hearing at Bolton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The England defender was caught on camera driving his Range Rover 35mph over the speed limit as he left a tunnel on Wilmslow Road, under the runway of Manchester Airport, on 5 March last year.

Prosecutor Karen Allanson said Maguire, who was not in court for the sentencing, was the registered keeper of the car and admitted being the driver.

Ms Allanson said they couldn’t offer him a fixed penalty “due to the high speed”.

Maguire pleaded guilty in October, the court heard.

At the time of the offence he had three penalty points on his licence, relating to an offence in March 2021.

Two days after the incident, he was caught speeding again and had since received three penalty points, his solicitor Gwyn Lewis, who appeared on his behalf, said.

Mr Lewis said his client “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.

Mr Lewis said the speed [he was driving] “is wholly excessive and I fully accept that”.

Given his wealth, Maguire would be able to pay a fine within 28 days and did not mean any disrespect by not attending court, Mr Lewis said.

He added: “Obviously, the fact is he is a public figure. He is a footballer.”

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Maguire was fined £666 and ordered him to pay £120 costs and a £266 surcharge.

Mr Lewis said he had already advised Maguire not to drive.

The defender, who missed a chance to score a late winner during a Premier League match against Liverpool at the weekend, was due to be out of contract with Manchester United this summer, but last week the club confirmed it would trigger the option to keep him for a further season.

The defender, from Sheffield, signed for Manchester United in 2019 and was captain from 2020 until 2023.