Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice has been banned from driving for six months and ordered to pay £2,185 in fines and costs after being caught speeding twice on the same road within a five-day period last year.
The sentencing, delivered at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday in the player’s absence, marks an off-pitch setback for the 26-year-old footballer, who is currently in outstanding form for the Premier League leaders.
According to court reports, Rice was first detected driving his £40,000 Land Rover at 37 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone on the A217 road near his Surrey home on January 3 last year. Just five days later, on January 8, he was caught on the same stretch of road traveling at 49 mph in a 40 mph zone.
The convictions triggered the “totting-up” procedure, as the nine points from these latest offences were added to six existing points on his licence, bringing his total to 15. Under UK law, accumulating 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period typically results in an automatic driving disqualification.
The financial penalty imposed totals £2,185, comprising a £1,500 fine for the speeding offences, a £600 victim surcharge, and £85 in court costs. The six-month ban will significantly impact Rice’s daily routine, though he did not attend the hearing where the sentence was handed down.
This incident occurs during a period of peak professional performance for the midfielder. Rice, who joined Arsenal in the summer of 2023 for a British record fee of £105 million, recently stated he is “loving” his football and feels “full of confidence”.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, he reflected on his mindset, saying, “Every season, I think to myself, ‘how can you level up again, how can you go again and show why Arsenal brought you in?'”.
The legal ruling serves as a reminder of the scrutiny facing high-profile athletes in their personal conduct. Arsenal, who are chasing their first piece of silverware since 2020, will now rely on their star midfielder to maintain his focus on the pitch as he navigates the consequences of his driving ban off it.