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Wayne Rooney has apologised after being banned from driving for two years and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order. Rooney on Monday pleaded guilty to drink driving on a night out while his pregnant wife and their three sons were on holiday. The Everton striker and former England captain was stopped by police when driving a woman's black Volkswagen Beetle in Wilmslow, Cheshire, at 2 a.m. on Sept. 1. The 31-year-old was later arrested and bailed, and on Monday he entered his guilty plea at Stockport Magistrates' Court. Rooney apologised for his actions in a statement that read: "Following today's court hearing I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgement in driving while over the legal limit. It was completely wrong. "I have already said sorry to my family, my manager and chairman and everyone at Everton FC. Now I want to apologise to all the fans and everyone else who has followed and supported me throughout my career. "Of course I accept the sentence of the court and hope that I can make some amends through my community service." Wearing a blue suit with his hands in his pockets, Rooney walked into the court building accompanied by a small entourage. Rooney's legal team asked District Judge John Temperley to consider not imposing a community order because of his ongoing charitable work. However, the judge said he was "not convinced" that imposing a large fine "would have the same effect." Rooney was also told to pay £85 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge for the same amount. The court heard Rooney was almost three times the legal limit. A breathalyser test showed his alcohol level was 104 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath. The drink-drive limit in England and Wales is 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath. After the hearing, Rooney left court with his lawyers, followed by a media scrum of TV cameras, press photographers and reporters. Shortly after the court hearing Rooney also tweeted his statement of apology to his 16.3 million followers. Rooney's apology had a mixed response on Twitter. Some replied with praise, saying that it takes a man to apologise, others rejected his words and many more gave him sarcastic offers of a lift to work on Tuesday morning. Michael Rainford, defending, said his client accepted the facts of the prosecution case in full. He said: "Upon stopping and speaking to the police officer he was fully co-operative and compliant both at the roadside and also at the police station later on, to the extent that the officers who dealt with Mr Rooney said he was the perfect gentleman. "He realises he has not only let himself down very badly but his family. He has a wife and three young children. Of course he has let down the fans, the young people who look up to him."
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