‘Not ideal’ says Pardew as Spanish police quiz West Brom quartet over taxi theft

Four West Bromwich Albion players are being investigated by Spanish police for the alleged theft of a taxi while the English Premier League team were training in Barcelona.

The players – Jonny Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill – faced a judge after being accused by a taxi driver of stealing his vehicle early on Thursday morning. The driver said he was outside the vehicle at the time it was stolen. Police said there was no violence involved in the incident that took place during the team’s midwinter training trip.

The players involved issued a public apology. “We freely acknowledge and apologise for the break of curfew which we accept represented a breach of the standards of professionalism required of us as representatives of West Bromwich Albion,” they said in a joint statement.

West Brom are bottom of the Premier League after winning just one of their last 25 matches. Their chairman and chief executive were fired this week after a 3-0 loss at Chelsea.

“We would like to assure our supporters,” the four players added, “that this incident does not reflect the determination and resolve we possess to do all we can to recover a difficult season.”

West Brom said the players “will be subject to the full rigours of our internal disciplinary procedures.”

“It wasn’t what we wanted,” West Brom manager Alan Pardew said. “We’ve gone there to try to get ourselves ready and up for the run-in and this is obviously not ideal.”

West Brom play Southampton in the FA Cup today.