In a recent interview with the Evening Standard, Kurt Zouma has reflected on “Cat-gate” and spoken about how the incident has impacted his family.
The affair was the major Hammers story when it became clear that he had mistreated the pet and it followed him around for months as he visited away grounds.
Zouma was mocked by opposition fans in the aftermath. They were seen holding inflatable cats while heading to the London Stadium.
Footage emerged in February 2022 of Zouma – and his brother Yoan – abusing a cat in his kitchen, which eventually led to the pair being prosecuted by the RSPCA.
The Frenchman pleaded guilty to two counts under the Animal Welfare Act when he appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court in east London back in May last year.
Zouma said: ‘It’s been a tough time for me and for my family. 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.’
He then went on to thank the West Ham fans for their support and spoke about how he is hoping to give back to the club by ‘winning a trophy’.
The Frenchman said: ‘It means a lot to me, hearing the fans scream my name. 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.’
Ahead of their trip to Leicester in early February, David Moyes – discussing the affair – had said: ‘We all make mistakes in life, ‘I am not condoning his actions. We all accepted they were diabolical. But we’ve chosen to play him and I stand by that.
‘He is really remorseful and disappointed in his actions. There will be reactions at football grounds, which he will have to expect and rightly so. He played the other night and I thought the West Ham supporters gave him a good reception.
‘I understand how people feel. I really do. But now we’re asking for a bit of forgiveness from everybody. We all make mistakes.’