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Man Utd's Leny Yoro handed driving ban for speeding

Manchester United's Leny Yoro (left) and Casemiro (blurred out) during a training session at the Carrington Training Centre, Manchester.PA Media

Lynette Horsburgh

North West

Manchester United footballer Leny Yoro has been banned from driving for six months after speeding in his Porsche at more than 70mph (112kmh) past homes and a school.

The 20-year-old centre back's £170,000 Porsche Cayenne GTS was clocked at 72mph by a camera in the Manchester suburb of Withington in August.

Court papers reveal the French defender was driving at nearly two-and-a-half times the 30mph speed limit at the time.

As well as a driving ban, Yoro, who pleaded guilty, was given a £666 fine and ordered to pay £120 in costs and a £266 victim surcharge at Crewe Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Lawyers representing Yoro issued an apology on his behalf, insisting the road was clear and the footballer had been "rushing to take a friend to the railway station".

Yoro was not in line for an automatic ban by totting up 12 penalty points, but was instead disqualified because of the high speed he was driving at in a 30mph zone.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick (right) speaks to footballer Leny Yoro after a match.Action Images/Reuters

Lisa Nevitt, Yoro's lawyer from the firm Burton Copeland, wrote to the court highlighting the footballer's "prompt guilty plea" and setting out that he "would not seek to argue that he should not be disqualified".

"He is not liable to a totting up disqualification but understands because of the speed involved that it is highly likely the court will impose a disqualification rather than penalty points," she wrote.

"Our client would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the incident which came about as he was rushing to take a friend to the railway station.

"Our client further states that he believes where the speeding took place was at a point where the road was broad and there was little prospect of being any contact with any vulnerable road users such as pedestrians."

The incident happened at just after 16:00 GMT on 28 August when Yoro was driving along Mauldeth Road West in Withington.

The stretch of road is lined in places with homes, as well as a secondary school and a sports club.

Yoro, who signed for Manchester United in July 2024 for a reported £52.2m fee, has made 23 appearances for the club this season.

He was charged by Greater Manchester Police with speeding and failing to identify the driver of the car.

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