Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice has been banned from the road for six months after being caught speeding twice on the same road in the space of a week. The 26 year old was done doing 37mph in a 30mph zone and 49mph in a 40mph zone, with magistrates coming down hard on the repeated offences.
Rice didn’t even turn up for the hearing at Crawley Magistrates Court, where the details of his lead footed week was laid bare. The court handed him a total financial penalty of £2,185, covering fines and costs, but it’s the lengthy ban that’ll really sting.
It’s understood the back to back offences triggered the “totting up” procedure, sending his licence points soaring to 15. That’s well past the 12 point threshold that usually sees you off the road for a spell. The law’s clear: rack up a dozen points or more inside three years and you’re looking at a ban.
A source close to the player suggested his schedule was to blame, but the bench wasn’t having any of it. They emphasised the “need to address the repeated speeding incidents,” especially given it was the same stretch of road. For a player whose game is all about reading danger, it was a poor bit of judgement off the pitch.
The ban is a proper headache for Rice’s daily routine, forcing a rethink on how he gets to and from the Gunners’ London Colney training ground. While it won’t affect his availability on the pitch, it’s an unwanted distraction for a key player as Arsenal gear up for the Premier League run in and their Champions League charge.
It’s another case of a top footballer falling foul of traffic laws, and a stark reminder that the rules of the road applies to everyone, no matter how important you are on a Saturday afternoon. Rice will now have to rely on lifts, drivers, or the team bus as he serves his time off the road.