The 43-year-old,  has also been fined £45,000 in his native Norway over fraud crimes worth a sum in the region of £450,000. The court could have doubled Carew’s sentence if it found he had intentionally avoided paying tax.

The former stroker who scored 38 Premier League goals and 24 for his country, pleaded guilty to fraud charges brought against him by the Norwegian tax authority.

His lawyer, Berit Reiss-Andersen, argued proceedings should have been dealt with as a confession case because the defendant had confessed to tax evasion while insisting it was unintentional.