Alejandro Garnacho convicted of speeding away from training ground amid bitter Man Utd exit

The offence occurred on August 26 last year - four days before he signed for Chelsea in a £40million deal after a fraught United exit.

The 21-year-old had been caught driving at 50mph in a 40mph zone.

At Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, Garnacho pleaded guilty to speeding, issuing an apology through his lawyers, which noted he was "embarrassed" by the incident.

His legal team at JMW Solicitors wrote: “Mr Garnacho accepts that he committed the offence of exceeding the speed limit and has pleaded guilty to the offence.

“Mr Garnacho explains this was an oversight on his part and apologises for the offence.

“Our Client is embarrassed that he is currently in this position and apologises to the Court for the excess speed offence.”

The 21-year-old was also charged with failing to respond to a Greater Manchester Police letter about the speeding offence, but this was dropped after he pleaded guilty.

Once proceedings commenced, his legal team wrote: “We respectfully invite the current charge of failing to provide driver information to be withdrawn and Mr Garnacho confirms he is to enter a guilty plea to the original offence of exceeding the speed limit, at 50 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour location.

“If the Court and Police Prosecution accede to the above, in accordance with our Client’s instructions, we formally enter a guilty plea on behalf of Mr Garnacho to the offence of exceeding the speed limit.”

He was subsequently handed down a £660 fine, with an order to pay £120 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge by Magistrate Jane Haynes.

Garnacho was also slapped with three penalty points on his driving licence.

The sentencing came at a hearing conducted last week behind closed doors under the notorious Single Justice Procedure.

The winger joined Manchester United's academy from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a move worth a reported £420,000.

He made his first team debut under then-manager Erik ten Hag in October 2022 against Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.

The 21-year-old scored his first senior goal for the club in the same competition just weeks later against Spanish outfit Real Sociedad.

But he left Old Trafford in dramatic fashion following a spat with manager Ruben Amorim - and later appeared to celebrate his sacking this January.

The Portuguese boss felt he was not paying attention to instructions when he was about to come on late in a Europa League tie with Viktoria Plzen, prompting the winger to be exiled from the squad.

At the end of the 2024/25 season, he was told by the Red Devils to find another club, making the switch to the West London side shortly after.

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