West Brom boss Alan Pardew confirmed Jonny Evans was stripped of the captaincy against Southampton because he wanted to ‘make a little bit of a statement.’
Evans was one of four senior players (along with Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill) who apologised after allegedly stealing a taxi during the club's training camp in Barcelona this week.
The embarrassing episode sparked outrage among supporters when the news first broke late on Thursday night, with the trip brokered as a chance to refocus as Albion, bottom of the Premier League, prepared for one last push for top-flight survival.