FORMER Forest Green midfielder Jordan Stevens has been banned from all football activities for six weeks for breaching betting rules.

The 19-year-old Gloucester-born Leeds United star was  fined £1,200 by the FA, after accepting a charge over 59 bets, which cost him a total of £510.12.

Five bets were on games involving his own club, but not games he himself played in.

His ban, which includes all football activities including training, runs until 10th October.

Leeds United issued a statement, saying: "We acknowledge the sanctions passed down by the FA to Jordan Stevens following a breach of betting regulations.

"We will support Jordan through this process, he is a young footballer who needs educating on the dangers of outside influences and how to conduct himself as a professional footballer.

"As a club we feel that banning a 19-year-old footballer from even participating in training or interacting with the club’s staff is an excessive punishment.

Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear commented: “Whilst we fully recognise the importance of the FA's role in protecting the integrity of the game, we are hugely disappointed in the FA's choice of sanction.

“To prevent a young footballer from taking part in any football activities at such critical period of his career is a disproportionate punishment following a foolish mistake from a young player.

“We are particularly disappointed that the sanction was determined by two former professional footballers who we hoped would have had a better understanding of the impact of their decision.”