Gary Neville disagrees with calls for West Ham defender Kurt Zouma to be sacked despite ‘terrible’ cat-attack video

Gary Neville has condemned Kurt Zouma for attacking his cat but says he disagrees with calls for the West Ham defender to be sacked.

Zouma, who joined West Ham from London rivals Chelsea last summer, has faced widespread criticism after videos emerged of the France defender kicking and slapping his pet cat.

More than 250,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Zouma to be prosecuted, but the 27-year-old played against Watford on Tuesday.

Last week, Animal charity RSPCA confirmed they had taken Zouma’s cats, while sportswear company Adidas have ended their relationship with the Hammers star.

Neville says Zouma made a ‘terrible’ and ‘stupid’ mistake but disagrees with calls for the professional footballer to lose his job.

‘It’s really difficult because I think, historically, [former Manchester United manager] Sir Alex [Ferguson] would have closed ranks,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.

‘He would have dealt with it internally. The problem you have in 2022 is that it isn’t sometimes enough to say, “I have dealt with it internally”.

‘Sometimes, with social media, you aren’t sure how some things are going to fly as well or how something is going to grow.

‘It’s that balancing act of doing the right thing, but trying to stand by your team members and players who have made mistakes.

‘Kurt Zouma made a terrible mistake. The reality of it is that [West Ham boss] David Moyes was left in a difficult predicament.

‘I think he has just about got it right. Some people will say he got it wrong. Some will say he got it right.

‘I think it’s very difficult for a manager. The club have to set the tone. If that’s my club, I’m taking that away from the manager. I am protecting the manager.

‘Zouma will always regret what he’s done, it