Fans outraged after footballer Ridgewell's 'vile pose' snap leaked

London, Dec 2(ANI): A vile photograph of West Bromwich Albion (WBA) defender Liam Ridgewell, in which he is seen squatting over a toilet to wipe his backside with a pile of 20 pound notes, has left the fans fuming. The picture also shows more 20 pound notes, totalling almost 1,000 pounds, scattered on the floor in front of him. Ridgewell claims the sick stunt was simply a joke to wind up a friend but it has infuriated club fans. Ridgewell's weekly wage is equivalent to the average annual salary in the West Midlands, which is one of the most deprived areas in the country. The disgraceful snap, taken in the bathroom of Ridgewell's 1.5 million pound home in Barnt Green, Birmingham, leaked by a West Brom fan. "The people of West Bromwich earn a fraction of what this idiot earns yet he makes a mockery of his good fortune like this. It makes me sick. We've always thought footballers were arrogant, overpaid buffoons and this just proves it," the Sun quoted the fan, as saying. Ridgewell, an unused sub in his side's 1-0 defeat to Stoke on Sunday, apologised for the sick incident. "The photo was taken in the privacy of my home around eight months ago as a joke to wind up a mate, who I had just won a personal bet with," Ridgewell said. "I only intended him to see the photo but now it's public, I can understand how it will be viewed. I am sorry for any offence it causes," he added. A spokesman for West Brom, currently fifth in the Premier League, said: "This is a private issue for Liam that has become public. It does not put the club in a good light and we will deal with the matter internally." (ANI)