Chelsea's Mikel banned from driving

Chelsea's Nigerian international midfielder John Obi Mikel was banned from driving for 15 months on Friday after he admitted to being drunk behind the wheel in London.

Mikel, 22, was found to be almost twice the limit when stopped by police in his black Range Rover near Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in west London in January.

District Judge Jeremy Coleman banned him from driving for 15 months and ordered him to pay 1,580 pounds at West London Magistrates' Court.

Mikel joined Chelsea in a controversial deal in June 2006, with the London club paying four million pounds to Norwegian club Lyn Oslo and a further 12 million pounds to Manchester United, who had a prior agreement to sign him.