Former Scotland, Hibs and Celtic striker Derek Riordan has been given two weeks to pay £25,000 mortgage arrears, or face losing his house.

The 32-year-old was not present at Falkirk Sheriff Court to hear a lawyer for TSB Bank agree to a stay of execution on an application for repossession of the property.

Solicitor Sarah-Jane Kissock, for the bank, said it was the first time the case had come up in court.

She said: "I am asking for a two-week continuation as the defender [Riordan] has advised that funds are in place for the arrears to be cleared in the next few days."

Ms Kissock said the sum owed is £25,062.42.

Sheriff Linda Smith agreed to the case be continued until January 20 "for possible settlement".

Court officials would not confirm the address of the property at the centre of the action, but Riordan owns a luxury home at Castleview, near Airth Castle, Stirlingshire.

The house, once valued at £315,000, was hit by a major blaze six years ago.

Riordan was renting the property out at the time.

Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service received a call to the fire on December 18, 2009, from a man who was the tenant at the time.

Some 35 firefighters from Stirling, Larbert, Falkirk, Bo'ness and Denny attended with five fire engines and an aerial ladder platform.

They managed to confine the fire to the roof of the house above the property's double garage.

It has since been repaired and neighbours of the property said the footballer, who has a five-year-old daughter, is back living there.

Riordan has been involved in several criminal cases and in August 2008 he was banned from every nightclub in Edinburgh for two years.