JONNY EVANS, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill have been named as the West Brom stars who allegedly stole a taxi in Barcelona.
The four have now released a statement apologising for their actions.
It read: “We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to our team-mates, the Head Coach, the Club and especially the supporters for the events which have been the subject of widespread and negative publicity.
“We felt it important we identify ourselves as the players involved in an incident which occurred during the training camp in Spain this week out of respect for team-mates who otherwise could be implicated by association.
“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 FC.
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“The Club has informed us that it will now conduct its own inquiry into the incident and we will co-operate fully.
“In the meantime, we would like to assure our supporters that this incident does not reflect the determination and resolve we possess to do all we can to recover a difficult season.”
Police were called after the footballers were said to have driven off in the cab from a McDonald’s drive-through and abandoned it outside their luxury five-star Spanish hotel before going up to their bedrooms.
Evans, 30, Barry, 36, Livermore, 28, and Myhill, 35, were hauled down to a local police station after being dragged out of bed at The One boutique hotel.
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A photo taken by a fan in Barcelona purported to show all the players in each other’s company on the night in question.
It is believed that no arrests have been made but that the investigation continues.
The alleged incident happened just before dawn yesterday. It came after West Brom boss Alan Pardew had taken his struggling side on a three-day warm-weather training visit to Barcelona where they were preparing for tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth round tie at home to Southampton.
Pardew said he felt “let down” by what the players did.
He said: “We are having an investigation to get to the bottom of it. It wasn’t what we wanted.
“The break a curfew and that is unacceptable and I feel let down by that. The club is clear it has to investigate properly.”
Regional Mossos d’Esquadra police confirmed the incident today as the players flew home.
A source said: “It appears the players had headed to the Barcelona Olympic Port but found everything closed so late on which is normal for midweek.
“They decided to take a taxi to a McDonald’s drive-through nearby and somehow and for some reason, left there in the cab but without the cab driver.
“The receptionist at the hotel they were staying at phoned police when she saw the taxi had been left unattended outside.
“Around the same time Mossos received a call from the stranded taxi driver.
“The four players who had got back to their hotel in the cab were taken to a local police station.
“They weren’t formally arrested but they were identified as part of a police investigation into them. The taxi was taken about 5.30am on Thursday and returned to its rightful owner around 8am.”
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