FOOTBALLER Clarke Carlisle has admitted drink driving after he was stopped twice the limit on the morning after a night of drinking at a casino.

The Burnley defender, who is on a season-long loan at Preston North End, was stopped driving his £40,000 Audi Q7 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

Speaking at court the 31-year-old told of his shame and regret.

“It was a gross error of judgment and one that I will never make again,” he told magistrates at Bury.

“People should be aware that just because you feel fine the next morning it doesn’t mean you’re safe to drive.”

Carlisle is chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association and has appeared as a panellist on Question Time, on Newsnight and on Countdown. He is due to appear again on Question Time.

He told the court he had been drinking “steadily” until 1am at the Grosvenor Casino, on Bury New Road, in Manchester, on July 29.

At 6am he reported his £40,000 Audi Q7 had been stolen, because he couldn’t remember where he’d parked it.

A police officer noticed that his eyes were glazed, he was unsteady on his feet and he smelled of alcohol. Carlisle assured the officer he wouldn’t drive.

At 9.40am the same officer saw the car being driven down Bury New Road, Prestwich, not far from the casino, pulled it over and found Carlisle at the wheel. Carlisle gave a breath sample at 71 microgrammes, twice the 35-microgramme limit.

Questioned by Elaine Quick, chair of the magistrates’ bench, Carlisle said he’d had “a steady two or three drinks an hour for several hours”.

He said: “We stopped drinking somewhere shy of 1am. I thought that 9.30am would be enough time for me to be safe.”

“I have to accept that alcohol isn’t a positive influence in my life. I feel so ashamed and I apologise profusely.

In mitigation Mr Freeman said: “This is a classic case of a defendant drinking the night before and failing to appreciate the rate at which alcohol dissipates.”

He said Carlisle was stopped two minutes from the casino. “He had initially forgotten where he had parked his car,” he said. “When he spoke to the officer he indicated it was his car.

“Some time later, when he felt totally fit and sober, he started to drive home.”

He said his client had been calm, compliant, steady on his feet and hadn’t slurred his speech when he was taken to a police station.

“He felt, totally in error, that he was fit to drive. The officer who followed him didn’t criticise his driving.”

Gordon Taylor was among those who gave character references.

Carlisle, a married dad-of-three, from Ripponden, West Yorkshire, was fined £2,365, and ordered to pay £135 prosecution costs and £15 victim surcharge.

His ban will be reduced by five months because he agreed to attend a driver rehabilitation scheme.