Speeding star blames ‘pressure’ at Chelsea

Hudson-Odoi could face driving ban after being clocked at 90mph

CHELSEA star Callum Hudson-Odoi blamed “problems at work” after he was caught speeding at 90mph on his way to training, a court heard.

The England international was pulled over by police in his £140,000 Mercedes SUV last August and now faces a possible driving ban. He admitted he was “ashamed” of the incident.

Hudson-Odoi, 20, said a road closure meant he was running late that morning and he decided to speed to avoid further trouble from his footballing bosses.

The winger had an extended spell on the sidelines with injury last year, and struggled for game time under former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

He was one of the first Premier League footballers to be struck down with Covid-19 in March last year, and he was then arrested in a rape investigation. However, it was found he had no case to answer, later leading to no further action from police. Writing to Bromley magistrates about the speeding, Hudson-Odoi

apologised and said he wanted to “explain what was going on for me at this time”.

“Prior to the offence,” he wrote, “I was going through an extremely difficult period in my life for personal reasons. My employers were fully aware of these problems and I would say that I was under significant pressure at work.

“On August 6, 2020, I was driving to work. I left home at my usual time to make the journey which usually has me arriving early, however due to a road closure I was running late.

“I believed that if I arrived late this would only compound the problems I was having at work.” His car was stopped on a 50mph stretch of the A3 at about 9.45am. Pc Shane Elsworth said: “There were no other vehicles travelling at anywhere near the same speed as this vehicle.”

Hudson-Odoi said he had “decided to try and make up some time” and was “ashamed of the choice I made”.

“Being stopped by police only compounded my problems and made my situation worse,” he wrote to the court in March. “I have learned a lot from the whole experience and have started to get myself back on track. The last two months have seen my life stabilise.” In May 2019, Hudson-Odoi was fined £700 and given three points on his licence for speeding on the same stretch of the A3. On that occasion he told the court: “Total mistake and very sorry”.

His latest court case, dealt with originally under the single justice procedure, has been adjourned for an open court hearing at Lavender Hill magistrates’ court on July 7. Hudson-Odoi has pleaded guilty to speeding. Chelsea FC and a representative of Hudson-Odoi have been contacted for comment.