Manchester United defender Michael Keane faces having to ditch his boots at Burnley.
The 21-year-old centre-back is one of the few players nowadays who refuses to wear the latest eye-watering luminous coloured boots.
His more traditional choice of footwear has earned him the nickname of 'the referee' among his tickled pink team-mates.
But Keane's sponsors have now told him he must start to toe the line by playing in their latest footwear - which are white and bright yellow.
Keane said: "For the past few weeks I've been wearing black. I want to wear them but I've been told off for it, so I'm going to have to go back to the white ones.
"The manager has given me some stick about it. I have been called 'the referee' for wearing black boots - I was getting more stick with the black than the white.
"They don't make the black ones any more. The ones I've got are about a year old.
"The Nike rep said I've got to start wearing the latest boots - there's nothing I can do.
"I might have to paint them black!"
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