The 33-year-old sent correspondence from a fictitious garage claiming his car was off the road at the time of six speeding offences in 2008 and 2009.

He admitted six charges of perverting the course of justice at Northampton crown court and was also handed an 18-month driving ban.

McKenzie, who is now pursuing a career in music after retiring from the game last December, said depression and being in a 'bad place' led him to conviction.

The father-of-four said he had personal problems at the time and 'couldn't always make sense of what was going on'.

'Unfortunately at that time I fell deep into depression, which led me to try and take my life,' the former Premier League striker said in a statement.

'Around that period I wasn't thinking straight, and got caught up with the wrong people around me.

'My behaviour towards certain things like these speeding offences were (sic) totally unacceptable and very naive of me to allow a third party to take my points for me.

'I allowed someone to take my points innocently, not knowing the seriousness of what was actually happening.'

Sentencing him, Judge Richard Bray said a custodial sentence was necessary for an offence 'which strikes right at the heart of justice'.