A NORTH-East Premiership footballer is to appear in court charged with drink-driving.

Sunderland striker Stephane Sessegnon is being prosecuted after he was pulled over in the centre of Newcastle while his teammates were playing at the Stadium of Light against Division One side MK Dons in the Capital One Cup second round last night (Tuesday Auigust 27).

It is not known what led to his arrest but a spokesman for Northumbria Police confirmed the incident.

He said that Sessegnon, who lives in Ponteland in Northumberland, was stopped at 7.51pm in Westgate Road, Newcastle, and later charged with drinking and driving.

The 29-year-old is due to appear before Newcastle Magistrates on Friday October 4, he added.

Sessegnon, signed for the Black Cats in January 2011 from the French side Paris St Germain and is a Benin international side.

Famously, he scored the first of Sunderland’s goals in the 3-0 local derby triumph over Newcastle at St James’ Park last season But there has been increasing speculation that he might not remain on Wearside.

He was won of several leading squad members players who were rested for the cup game.

Sunderland’s Italian manager Paolo Di Canio insisted earlier this month that Sessegnon is not for sale after rumours circulated that the striker could be headed to Qatar.

In June Sessegnon’s car was stolen from outside his home while he was on holiday and later crashed into a bus at Appleby in Cumbria during the town’s famous horse fair.

The Carlisle man who was took the BMW has since been jailed for 25 months.

A Sunderland spokesman said this afternoon (Wednesday August 28) that the club was not in a position to comment about what had happened.

Sunderland were heading for an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to humbler opposition but scored four times in the final 12 minutes to earn a place in the cup's third round.