Kurt Zouma: Pundit issues verdict on West Ham sacking defender after Karren Brady reveal
Kurt Zouma has been appropriately punished by West Ham after a video surfaced of him kicking his cat, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker insisted sacking Zouma would have been an over the top punishment.
West Ham confirmed last week (9 February) they had fined the defender the maximum amount possible and all the money had been donated to the RSPCA.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady wrote in the Sun on Sunday (13 February) insisted he had to be rehabilitated after showing remorse.
“What Zouma did was disgusting,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“I don’t have pets and never have but kicking a harmless, helpless cat was disgusting from Zouma.
“He deserves a big punishment. Is banning him from games the right punishment?
“A big fine, a big donation to the RSPCA and maybe putting him on a programme where he can learn what cats mean to people and why he shouldn’t do it is appropriate.
“To sack him is not the right thing. There is a lot more worse things that players have done and not been sacked. He deserves a big punishment but not a sacking.
“Don’t get me wrong, in six or seven years time he’ll still be getting booed. He can go anywhere in the world and people will still be angry with him.
“What he has done is going to stick with him forever and that’s a big punishment itself. He can go to a restaurant people will come over to him and he will have these questions to ask forever.
“Now, we should move on. He’s had his fine and hopefully, he will go through a programme and that’s enough for me.”
In other news, Declan Rice could quit West Ham for a ‘snip’ after Monday news.