Stoke boss Tony Pulis has refused to pass judgement on Jermaine Pennant despite the winger's latest off-field problems.
Stoke boss refuses to pass judgement on troubled winger
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has refused to pass judgement on Jermaine Pennant despite the winger's latest off-field problems.
The 29-year-old was arrested this week for allegedly assaulting a woman in a nightclub.
Later on the same evening, he was involved in a car accident and charged with drink-driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
The player is due to appear at Trafford Magistrates' Court on 9th May to answer the driving charges, but Pulis is not forming an opinion just yet.
He said: "He's got his court case on May 9 and let's see what comes out.
"It's very important that as a football club we wait until we see the facts because we all know what the media can do and how they can influence certain things.
"There's loads of stuff that has been put out on Twitter about Jermaine and about this and that. As soon as we get the facts, then we'll deal with it as a football club, and we'll deal with it in-house first.
"If it's as bad as what they say it is, then we'll take a view. If it's not as bad, then again we'll take a view."
Restricted
Pennant has been restricted to the substitute's bench for much of the season and has failed to break into the first XI.
He has had a history of off-the-field problems during his career having spent 30 days in prison whilst at Birmingham in 2005.
But Pulis insists that his limited opportunities are not due to his behaviour, saying: "Whatever Jermaine has done outside of Stoke City, he's done outside of Stoke City.
"Obviously this affects us because it's inside the football club. The most important thing is to see exactly what happened and then speak to the kid about it.
"Lads are lads. They've got a lot of money but they have a responsibility not only to their football clubs but to the youngsters in the community and everybody in the community. It's very important they understand that.
"Having said that, none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. So you have to accept that people are sometimes going to slip and fall over, and sometimes you need people who are going to pick them up and help them.
"Some people fall over more than others. That's the problem."
