The driver behind the wheel of a Mercedes G-Wagon who was clocked travelling at 116mph on the M25 is Watford star Etienne Capoue.

The Hornets midfielder, 30, was captured speeding on the motorway near London Colney by police officers who were travelling just behind him on the morning of Sunday December 30 last year.

At Stevenage Magistrates Court today, Capoue was banned from driving for three months. He did not appear at court.

Etienne Capoue has been one of Watford's stand-out performers this season. Credit: Action Images

The court heard that when officers stopped the footballer he told them he was “running late”, and in court today, his solicitor said he had been trying to get to training.

Capoue had been followed for two miles.

The court was told the reason Capoue had been running late that morning was because his youngest child had been ill during the night.

Video footage from the police car showed Capoue hurtling down the M25 from j22 towards the M1. He appeared to veer onto the M1 before dashing back onto the M25.

The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshrie Road Policing Unit said the vehicle flew past its marked car before it was later pulled up.

They later tweeted: “Having just overtaken a marked police X5, this somewhat well-known footballer decided 125mph and undertaking on an off slip of the M25 was OK #taxitotraining' before the post was later deleted.

Capoue, of Barnet, previously pleaded guilty to one count of speeding.

Capoue's solicitor Kwaku Awuku- Asabre represented him in his absence.

The court were told Capoue hadn’t provided a means form setting out his income.

A solicitor representing the player was told to go and find out what his earnings were by chairman of the bench, Miss Corinna Murray.

But when the solicitor returned to court 15 minutes later he said the only information he had was that his client earns a weekly wage that was in excess of the maximum £2500 fine for the the speeding offence.

Mr Asabre said the player hadn’t come to court because he was training with Watford in preparation for the club’s away game at Huddersfield on Saturday.

The solicitor said Watford FC ran a strict training regime and players had to train two days before a match if they wanted to be selected.

Capoue was disqualified from driving for three months and fined £1,666. He was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £166.

Commenting on the footballer's failure to appear, Chair of the bench Miss Corinna Murray said: "We are not best pleased, others go to court. He is not showing in a good light. This family is in a position where they can afford a driver."

The court was told that the footballer had a previous driving conviction from February 17 2017, when he was caught speeding 58mph in a 30mph zone.

At the time he was fined £1,000 and banned for 28 days.

Frenchman Capoue, who joined Watford in July 2015 from Tottenham Hotspur, is currently enjoying his best ever season with the Hornets, helping them reach the FA Cup final, where they will meet Manchester City.