Gary Neville says Kurt Zouma should not be sacked

Gary Neville has disagreed with calls for Kurt Zouma to be sacked following a video emerged last week of the West Ham defender kicking a cat.

More than 330,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Zouma to be prosecuted but Neville thought fining the player was the correct way to go.    

‘Zouma will always regret what he’s done, it was a stupid thing to do,' Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.

‘Do I think he should never play football again? No, I don’t. I think he should be allowed to play football again.

‘Do I think he deserves to be punished, fined two weeks’ wages and banned for two or three games? Yes. So should he have played the other night? Maybe not.’

The Sky Sports pundit also said matters like this would have been dealt with internally back during his playing days.

‘It’s really difficult because I think, historically, Sir Alex [Ferguson] would have closed ranks,’ ‘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.'

The former Manchester United full back said he believed West Ham boss David Moyes has 'just about got it right.' 

‘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,