Tottenham Hotspur midfielder David Bentley apologized to his Premier League club and fans on Thursday after being charged with drunk driving following a car crash.
The 24-year-old winger, who has nine England caps, crashed his car into a lamp post in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, 25km north of London, in the early hours of Thursday morning and was arrested at the scene, Herts police said.
No other vehicle was involved in the accident.
Bentley has been released on bail until Aug. 28, when he will appear at St Albans Magistrates Court.
“I should like to apologize to my club and the supporters for my actions which led to my car accident last night and my subsequent charge,” Bentley said in a statement on the Spurs Web site, www.spurs.co.uk.
“It was wholly unacceptable and I fully appreciate that as a professional footballer I have a duty to behave in a reputable and responsible manner,” he said.
“I am thankful that nobody was injured in the accident. This has been a wake-up call for me both personally and professionally,” he added.
Bentley, who joined Spurs from Blackburn Rovers in July last year, has been on the fringes of the Tottenham first team since manager Harry Redknapp took charge last October.
Although Bentley scored a spectacular 45m goal in October to help Tottenham to a 4-4 draw at fierce north London rival Arsenal — his former club — he lost his place on the right of midfield to Aaron Lennon and has been linked with a move to Aston Villa.
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