A READING FC player has been handed a hefty fine after skipping a £100 train fare.

Tom Dele-Bashiru -- full name Ayotomiwa Sherif Tom Dele-Bashiru -- failed to pay for his £103.50 ticket from Reading to Manchester on December 18, 2021.

The 22-year-old, who played for the Royals on loan from Watford last season, was the subject of a hearing at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 8.

READ MORE: Latest list of residents to appear in court

Magistrates ordered the former Manchester City midfielder to pay a £140 fine on top of the £103.50 compensation he must pay to Cross Country railway service.

Manchester-born Dele-Bashiru, of Napier Road, will also have to pay £214 in court fees.

The £457.50 bill should be a drop in the ocean for the football star, who reportedly earns £4,600 - £8,000 a week according to two sites with knowledge of Reading FC players’ wages.

Dele-Bashiru has now returned to Watford FC having made 38 appearances for the Royals, scoring four times.