Prince William has called on players in the English Premier League to clean up their act.

The Prince believes players must take more notice of the Football Association's Respect campaign and take a leaf out of the late Sir Bobby Robson's book.

"Sir Bobby understood that to be successful in football, as in any other sport, requires tempered aggression and the competitive edge," wrote William in his program address in his role as President of the Football Association.

"But what he also knew was that these can be taken too far.

"We saw this last season, in shameful scenes of groups of players confronting referees, verbally abusing them and physically intimidating them.

"Football is central to the fabric of this nation. The way our footballing heroes behave - on and off the pitch - has an extraordinary influence over the wider national life, particularly amongst children and young people.

"I believe passionately, therefore, that all of us involved in our national game should recognise and take these responsibilities very seriously indeed.

"It's for this reason that, as President of the Football Association, I ask you to join me in backing the Respect programme, which seeks to promote sportsmanship and fair play."