Ex-Premier League star Hamza Choudhury charged with drink-driving after being pulled over in early hours

FOOTBALL ace Hamza Choudhury has been charged with drink-driving, The Sun can reveal.

The Leicester City midfielder, 26, was stopped by cops in south Nottingham in the early hours of the morning last Friday.

Leicester star Hamza Choudhury has been charged with drink-driving offences

He is understood to have refused to take a breathalyser test and was arrested at the scene.

Choudhury was later charged with driving while over the alcohol limit, driving without due care and attention and failing to cooperate with a preliminary test.

The star is currently free on unconditional bail and will appear in court for the first time next month.

He played in last night’s 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town.

A source told The Sun: “He was driving very early in the morning and was pulled over by officers quite close to his home.

“Because Leicester didn’t have a game the next day, he felt he could be out that late.

“He is supposed to be a role model in the community and was seen as a future club captain as he grew up and matured.”

Choudhury, who lives in nearby Nottingham despite playing for Leicester, is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the Championship.

The £50,000-a-week ace played more than 50 Premier League games and won the FA Cup with Leicester City before they were relegated to the second tier last year.

The star was previously touted as a potential England pick, after representing the Three Lions at Under 21 level in 2018 and 2019.

His car collection includes a £170,000 Bentley Bentayga and a £80,000 Range Rover which he reportedly bought on the same day in 2022.

It is unclear which of his motors the star was driving at the time of his arrest.

The booze charge is the latest in a string of incidents involving the married father-of-three, who has previously spoken of his devout Muslim faith.

Just weeks after Hamas attacked Israeli civilians last October, Choudhury was slammed for posting the phrase: “From the river to the sea.”

The slogan is commonly interpreted as calling for the destruction of the Israeli state.

In 2021 Choudhury was slammed after attending a Covid lockdown-busting house party with then-teammates James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez.

A year earlier he was left out of Leicester’s matchday squad after missing a training session following a night out with fellow academy graduate Ben Chilwell.

And in 2019 he was fined £5,000 by the FA and forced to attend a training course after historical offensive posts on social media were uncovered.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman told The Sun: “Officers pulled over a vehicle in Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, around 1.45am on Friday 19 January 2024.

“A man was arrested on suspicion of refusing to provide a specimen of breath.

“Hamza Choudhury, aged 26, of Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, has since been charged with driving while over the alcohol limit, driving without due care and attention, and failing to co-operate with a preliminary test.

“He was released on unconditional bail and is next due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 23 February 2024.”

Leicester City and Choudhury’s agent declined to comment.