Tevez pays penalty for his lack
of English

Tevez, 28, was disqualified from driving and ordered to pay a total in fines and costs of £1,540 at a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. The striker, who did not attend the hearing in person, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to furnish information which relate to incidents in which his car was clocked speeding.

The court heard he received letters from the police in relation to the offences but he failed to respond because he did not recognise the word constabulary.

Tevez, from Alderley Edge, Cheshire, also admitted not having a proper UK driving licence, but denied he was driving when his car was caught speeding.

His solicitor, Gwyn Lewis, told the court: “He does understand the word ‘police’, but not more complicated words. The letters are written from Cheshire Constabulary and the word police doesn’t appear on it anywhere.”

He said that was also the case in relation to the speeding office in Morecambe.

The court ordered that the disqualification period would start from November 26, when an interim driving ban was imposed on the player.

As an Argentinian licence holder, Tevez, is permitted to drive in Britain for the first 12 months of his stay in the country but is then required to apply for a provisional licence and pass the UK driving theory and practical test. Mr Lewis said the theory test will be problematic for his client as it is normally conducted in English.