Irish Footballer Among Four Players Investigated For Allegedly Stealing A Taxi In Barcelona

Four players for English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are under investigation after allegedly driving off in an empty taxi during a mid-season trip to Barcelona.

The quartet has been named as Boaz Myhill, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and captain Jonny Evans who hails from Belfast.

The Sun reports that police were called when the players took the car to a McDonalds drive-through before leaving it outside the hotel where the team were staying. On Friday evening, the players released a joint statement to apologise for their behaviour and state their intention to co-operate fully with the investigation.

It reads:

'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.

'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.'