Arsenal’s Walcott advises players to be cautious on Twitter
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has warned against players being critical of referees online, saying they will "only start digging holes for themselves".
Walcott’s counsel follows Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere using Twitter to bemoan "inconsistent refereeing" following his team’s draw at Newcastle on Saturday.
Walcott said: "There's no point whingeing about referees after games. It's not going to change the result. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but you have to be careful what you do in your personal life."
Newcastle turned around a 4-0 deficit to finish 4-4, helped in part by two penalties being awarded to the home team. Wilshere then vented his frustration on Twitter at decisions made by ref Phil Dowd, but later took the comment down. The Football Association looked into the situation but decided not to punish the midfielder.
Former Liverpool striker Ryan Babel was fined £10,000 by the Football Association in January after posting a mocked-up photo of ref Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt.
Walcott added: "I don't tweet myself, I really don't have a clue what it's all about. It doesn't really interest me."