BLACKBURN Rovers star Gael Givet was caught drink-driving after a night out with teammates, following last month’s draw at Norwich City.

Just hours after putting in a man-of-the-match performance, the 30-year-old defender went out with fellow players to discuss the club's poor form, a court heard.

But at 2am the married father-of-two decided to drive home to Hale, Greater Manchester, and was stopped by police in his black Audi car just yards from the restaurant in Wilmslow.

He failed a roadside breath test and a subsequent examination showed he had 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

At Macclesfield Magistrates Court Givet, who earns £15,000 a week, was fined £3,500 and banned from driving for 14 months after he admitted drink-driving.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The court heard the former France international was arrested in the early hours of October 30 after the team drew 3-3 away against Norwich City.

After suffering a facial injury early in the game in a clash with teammate Morten Gamst Pedersen, Givet went on to deliver a star performance.

In the Lancashire Telegraph’s match report on the following Monday he was described as ‘fearless’ and a ‘real warrior’.

Rovers were winning the game until Norwich were awarded a controversial penalty deep into injury time.

Speaking in court, Givet's lawyer John Batty said: "He is a professional sportsman and on that day there had been a fixture with an unfavourable outcome. It was a difficult time for him.

"It was decided there should be a meeting about it in a restaurant which he went to and alcohol was drunk.

"His colleagues were very surprised when they heard about what happened because they say he is not a drinker and he is a family man who is committed to what he does for a living."

Givet joined Blackburn on loan from Marseilles in 2009 and has scored three goals in 71 appearances for the club.

The club are currently second from bottom in the Premier League.