England captain Steven Gerrard has warned his players to hold their tongue at the World Cup and not risk unnecessary bookings or red cards by swearing at referees.

Players' language has been a hot topic since Wayne Rooney was booked for swearing at a referee during a pre-tournament friendly.

Gerrard is warning his team-mates not to get caught in the trap. "You don't swear at them, do you?" he said. "That's the answer to that. In this day and age I think it's important to show the referees some respect. You don't use any language because then you'll be booked and the whole team suffers."