Ex-Saints player Neil Shipperley flashes to a mother and her teenage daughter

The Premier League star, who was signed for the Saints by Alan Ball for a record fee of £1.25 million on 6 January 1995, told police he "had a problem" after staring at the two women from his white van while exposing himself.

Shipperley, 45, handed himself in at his local police station as his victims were reporting him, the court was told.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally exposing himself and causing alarm or distress, at Uxbridge Magistrates Court.

Shipperley spoke only to enter his guilty plea and to confirm his name, date of birth, and address.

The court heard that Shipperley, of West Drayton, north west London, was on his "usual route" in his white transit van in Station Road, Hayes, west London, when the incident happened on Tuesday September 17 this year.

Prosecutor Taranjit Rai said: “On that day at about 5.15pm there were two victims - a mother and a daughter, and the daughter was 16.

“The defendant was driving along at the same pace as them as they were walking along on the road. He was in his white Transit van.

“He stopped his van outside a cycle shop and wound down his window. They thought that he let them go across the road."

He added that the victim turned around to say thank you and at this point she looked down at the window and saw Shipperley exposing himself.

Mr Rai said the defendant followed them up the road and stopped by the traffic lights. This time the defendant wound down the window and proceeded to perform a sex act on himself.

“The victim and the mother tried to take the defendant’s number plate<" he added.

“That was the point that he drove off towards Hayes station.”

The court heard that the mother saw Shipperley again moments later, who was “still staring at her and her daughter" and still performing a solo sex act.

After Shipperley reappeared, the victims went to the local police station to report him.

He said "sorry" after confessing to his actions, the court heard.

Mr Rai added: “He apologised for what he had done and admitted he had a problem which is why he had gone to the police station.

“He said ‘it was totally unacceptable and, I have to say for the record, I did not know she was a kid.”

The mother said that she and her daughter felt “violated” in a statement read to the court.

Reading the mum's statement, Mr Rai said: “I was really shocked and angry.

"It was disgusting, I was not willing to let my daughter go through this.

“How can he think he has the power to do this to females. Me and my daughter feel violated.”

Sarah O’Kane, in mitigation for Shipperley, told the court that the former footballer had felt “remorse and anguish” for his actions, and begged them not to send him to prison.

The court also heard he hoped to coach an under 15s football squad, which is something he may not now be allowed to do.

She said: “Mr Shipperley has lost his good character as a result of his guilty plea.

"He handed himself into the police and at a time shortly after the offence."

“He is full of remorse and anguish, he has lost his good character, and there are implications over and above that for his prospects of engaging in what he was proposing to do.

“The impact on him opposed to others is perhaps greater.”

She also said her client may contest the fact that he was performing a sex act.

Chairman of the bench Michelle O’Keeffe agreed to adjourn Shipperley’s sentencing for a probation report to be made, saying she agreed that this was “an unusual case.”

Shipperley was bailed to return to Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court for sentencing next month.

Shipperley played for Saints between between 1995 and 1996. 

In 1995 he  scored four goals in 19 league games for the the club as they finished 10th in the Premier League.

The next season Shipperley was the club's joint top scorer with seven league goals and also helped them reach the FA Cup quarter finals, where they lost 2–0 to eventual the double winners Manchester United.

After leaving Saints he played for a number of clubs including Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.