Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher has been criticised for posing with a new £260,000 car despite scoring just seven goals in two seasons for the club.

The photograph went viral last week with fans saying that the Lamborghini Aventador was "undeserved" and the timing of the photo, just three days before Sunderland's 1-0 loss to West Ham United, was "really appalling".

"We know footballers have these big flash cars. I just think the timing was really appalling and I can really understand the way that people have felt about this," Janet Rowan of the Sunderland Supporters' Association told The Mirror.

She added that "it was probably the straw the broke the camel's back" referring to low-income fans who attend Sunderland matches.

The Twitter backlash included a tweet from parody site BBC Sporf saying: "Steven Fletcher: two seasons, seven goals, one new Lamborghini Aventador."

Sunderland fan JamesTheMackem tweeted: "Steven Fletcher has a Lamborghini, the most undeserved Lambo for a football player, ever."

The 27-year-old joined Sunderland for a fee of £12m in 2012 and scored 11 goals in his first season but has struggled to find his form over the last two years.