Former World Cup final referee Howard Webb has warned England's Dele Alli "to be careful" to avoid being sent off at Euro 2016.
Alli is expected to play a major role in England's campaign, which gets underway against Russia on Saturday, but he begins the tournament as a marked man after his fabulous debut season for Tottenham was punctuated with controversial moments of petulance.
Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew accused Alli of stamping on Yohan Cabaye in January, while Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted the 20-year-old had "a lot to learn about elite football" after he was fortunate to avoid a red card for aiming a kick at Fiorentina's Nenad Tomovic in the Europa League.
The PFA Young Player of the Year's maiden campaign in the Premier League ended on a low when he was suspended for Tottenham's final three matches for appearing to punch West Brom's Claudio Yacob in a frustrating draw, as Spurs' title hopes faded.
Webb, who officiated the Champions League and World Cup finals in 2010, believes opponents will attempt to provoke Alli and says referees in France "won't hesitate" to send him for retaliation.
"The difference in the way games in the Premier League and on the Continent are refereed has got smaller over the years, but England still need to be careful to avoid getting penalised for things they would get away with for their clubs," Webb wrote in a column for The Times.
"Peter Crouch used to struggle in Europe because his arms and legs would be going everywhere," he said, adding "Jamie Vardy might have to adjust his style a little bit so he doesn't get penalised when he's trying to get past the last man.
"And of course Dele Alli needs to be careful. He's got a bit of a temperament, which can be a good thing, but referees won't hesitate to send him off if he reacts.
"What often happens is that the first bit of winding-up won't be spotted but the retaliation will be -- you saw that with David Beckham's flick at Diego Simeone in the 1998 World Cup and Wayne Rooney's stamp on Ricardo Carvalho in 2006.
"Referees won't duck out of making a decision to send someone off if they do react. There is no excuse for players not knowing what they won't be able to get away with."
But Alli's former MK Dons teammate Alan Smith, formerly of Leeds United and Manchester United, says Alli must retain his aggressive streak if he is to make a mark at the tournament in France.
"You don't want to take away the aggression Dele has got because it is a massive part of his game," Smith, 35, told The Daily Mirror.
"You wouldn't want him to lose that aggression and style. He takes no prisoners and he wants to win.
"His mentality is of a driven person. It is about the balance, for me sometimes you can take away from the player and what makes him good if you are not careful.
"If you go out thinking about it, it is probably taking away a bit more from your game. I am sure everybody in the squad knows what he is like and wants him to go out and express himself.
"He has been given the freedom to do that and I think that is why everyone has seen the best of him."