Everton FC's midfielder Steven Pienaar has been accused of drinking and driving after being stopped in Liverpool city centre.
The 27-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning and was also charged with failure to comply with a traffic sign.
A Merseyside Police spokeswoman refused to say exactly where he was stopped.
He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates on 9 March. His team beat Manchester United 3-1 the day before.
The South African was brought to Goodison Park on loan in the summer of 2007.
He was signed for £2.05m after he permanently left his former club, Dortmund in April 2008.
Everton FC has not yet commented on the charges.