Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley was left out of Sunday’s game at Tottenham after being pictured lying in a pile of £50 notes on a casino floor.
A photo of the former Manchester United full-back covered in the wad of notes was published in The People newspaper on Sunday.
It was reported the image was taken during a night out to celebrate Wigan’s defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday night, a result which secured the Sunderland’s Premier League survival.
Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio recently revealed he had fined seven players in five days for indiscipline as he attempts to improve standards at a club that appeared to be heading for relegation until he replaced Martin O’Neill as manager in April.
And the Italian has not taken Bardsley’s actions well, omitting him from today’s match-day squad for the game at White Hart Lane.
Matthew Kilgallon, who was also pictured on the night out in the casino, did not make the bench either.
Di Canio has spoken this week of his determination to bring more discipline to the Sunderland squad and threatened to cut the squad’s holiday short unless they performed with “dignity” in their final game of the season.
Sunderland's Bardsley axed after casino pic
