Arsenal legend Ian Wright has branded Kurt Zouma as a coward after the West Ham United star was seen kicking a cat in a video on social media.
Zouma joined the Hammers from Chelsea last summer and a video of the Frenchman kicking and slapping his cat surfaced on Twitter on Monday night.
A statement from the east London club read: "The club unreservedly condemns the actions of Kurt Zouma in the video that has circulated.
"We have spoken to Kurt and will be dealing with the matter internally, but we would like to make it clear that we in no way condone cruelty towards animals."
Now, former England striker Wright has taken to Twitter to vent his disgust, labelling the defender a 'coward'.
Zouma also since apologised for his behaviour and claimed that his cats are loved and part of the family.
His statement said: "I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret.
"I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy.
"They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again."
Meanwhile, an RSPCA spokesperson said: "This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.
"We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare."
