Former Scotland football captain Colin Hendry has admitted waging a two-month campaign of harassment against his ex-girlfriend.
The Moray-born 49-year-old bombarded Sarah Kinder with text messages and e-mails after she ended their relationship.
Hendry also admitted turning up at her home and throwing stones at her bedroom window when he appeared in court yesterday.
But an allegation of common assault against the former Rangers and Blackburn Rovers defender was dropped after Ms Kinder retracted a statement claiming he had grabbed her by the arm several times as she tried to get into a taxi.
The ex-Highland League star started seeing Ms Kinder after his wife Denise died aged just 42 in 2009 following botched cosmetic surgery.
Blackpool Magistrates Court heard she broke off the relationship in late December 2014, but they were reunited on February 21 this year.
Hendry was given a 17-month driving ban earlier this year after he admitted drink-driving in Lytham St Annes in Lancashire, where he now stays, in the early hours of February 21.
The dad-of-four was previously reported to have sent Ms Kinder numerous text messages following the first split and was given a harassment order.
Ms Kinder finally ended the relationship on March 3 and Hendry’s catalogue of harassment lasted from then until April 18.
The court heard the former footballer was “extremely upset and confused” by the March break-up and was “in something of an emotional turmoil”.
Hendry also said he was worried about Ms Kinder’s “wellbeing” but acknowledged his behaviour was “unacceptable on occasions”.
He said he would check “if she was ok” by sometimes driving past her home in Lytham and on one occasion entered her home through an unlocked front door.
Hendry said he saw Ms Kinder in two bars in the coastal resort on the evening of April 17 and later into the early hours of the next day.
He had been told she was “very drunk, upset and walking barefoot” and said he went over to help her as she got into a taxi.
Hendry said: “I went to make sure she was ok. I accept she did not want my help.”
Police witnessed the taxi incident and he was arrested.
Hendry added: “I accept my relationship is over. I have absolutely no criticism of her whatsoever. I wish her well.”
He said he wished to apologise to her and added he was “embarrassed and truly sorry”.
The court heard that Ms Kinder did not want a restraining order imposed against Hendry as, considering Lytham was a small place, she wanted to speak to him on “an amicable basis”.
Hendry will return to court for sentence on August 20.