Wayne Rooney has been urged to see a psychologist in a bid to curb his fiery temper which saw him red carded in Spain on Wednesday for sarcastically applauding a Danish referee.
That incident came just a week after the 19-year-old threw a tantrum after being yellow carded in England's World Cup qualifying defeat to Northern Ireland in Belfast.
English Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor believes Rooney could benefit from counselling and follow in the footsteps of Manchester City bad-boy Joey Barton who was transformed by Tony Adams' Sporting Chance clinic.
"There is a great talent there and you just do not want to see it wasted for the sake of poor temperament," Taylor said.
"You hope that with the advice and help from his manager and team-mates, Wayne will realise losing his temper like that is counter-productive.
"It's a matter of counting to 10 and not reacting to situations.
"There is a much broader use of counselling and psychology among sports people these days, particularly for those who find themselves in difficult situations on and off the field."
