German footballer Reus fined for driving without licence

German football club Borussia Dortmund's winger Marco Reus has been fined more than half a million euros for repeatedly driving without a licence.

The 25-year-old German international was allegedly stopped by police several times and received speeding tickets on at least five occasions since 2011 before authorities realised he had been driving without a licence ever since, reports the Daily Telegraph. "I decided back then to take that road but the reasons I did it are something I cannot really understand today," Reus said Thursday.

The Dortmund prosecutor's office said the fine was 540,000 euros (425,247 pounds) related to incidents from 2011 until March this year. "Today I know that I was too naive and that it was stupid. I have learned my lesson and this will not happen again," Reus said.

Reus, who missed Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph in July after picking up an injury in the final warm-up game, is a transfer target of several major European clubs.