West Ham United centre-back Kurt Zouma admits it has been a tough time for him personally after a video of him kicking a cat last year went viral.
Last February, video footage showed Zouma kicking his pet cat, as well as throwing objects at it which led to him receiving a fine of two weeks’ wages by West Ham , as well as being ordered to complete 180 hours of community service.
On the pitch, the French defender has been a big player since the incident and when he has been fit, has been integral to West Ham’s run to this season’s Europa Conference League final, the club’s first European final since 1976.
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Speaking out in his first interview with a British newspaper since the incident, Zouma admits that it has been a struggle for him and that he is sorry over what happened, adding that support from his family, teammates and others at West Ham has helped him to get through it, with the period following the incident leading to him receiving racial abuse and boos from opposition fans.
“It’s been a tough time for me and for my family,” Zouma told the Evening Standard . “We’ve been through a lot. I made a mistake, I know — I made a bad one. I have to say sorry again for what I’ve done, but life is about moving on.
“My wife and my kids, my family, everybody around me, even at the club, the lads, the fans, people have helped me through everything. It affected me but they helped me and I’ve kept a smile on my face, because that’s who I am.”
Zouma, 28, wants to repay the fans that have shown him support and cheered for him this season by delivering them with the Europa Conference League trophy, for which, they face Fiorentina in the final of the competition on Wednesday
The ex-Chelsea centre-back admits he is delighted to have had support from the club’s fans and wants to deliver silverware to the London Stadium.
“It means a lot to me, hearing the fans scream my name,” the Frenchman says. “It gives you extra motivation, you want to win every duel. I want to give it back by winning a trophy. That would be the best feeling.”
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