Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says he has no problem with the aggressive style of Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli.
Alli, 20, was shown the first red card of his career for a challenge in Spurs' Europa League exit against AA Gent.
Hughes said: “All the top players have a little bit of devil in them.
“It adds to you as a player. There is a line that obviously can't be crossed but sometimes – and I was guilty of it like most of them – a bit of a red mist comes over you and you overstep the mark.
“That happened with Dele Alli. It was a poor challenge but it was in reaction to maybe a foul he thought should have been given on him. I remember on many occasions doing that myself.
“Players at that level have that edge to them which makes them a little different. As a player you were never told, 'Don't do it'. You just had to rein yourself in a bit – or do it when you wouldn't get caught.
“When I was playing there were plenty of dark arts which weren't always seen. But with cameras everywhere now you can't get away with it."