Stoke City captain Andy Griffin has blasted football's divers.
"Someone gets pushed in the chest and they go down as if a hand grenade has gone off in their face. It's embarrassing. The game is a shambles."
Griffin returned to Stoke in January after a spell with Derby County.
The former Portsmouth and Newcastle United defender also said his opinion of the modern game caused him to pay little attention to the European Championships.
"You give a player a tap on the ankle and then he goes down and starts rolling around on the floor, it's a disgrace.
"I saw one guy cut his head and had to be carried off and I was thinking 'Why can't you walk off?'
"The game has changed so much. The likes of Joe Jordan and Lou Macari - tough players, they must laugh at some of the players that play nowadays. It's pathetic and very frustrating."
Griffin is currently preparing to lead Stoke in their first ever Premier League campaign, but says the achievement of gaining promotion is only just sinking in.
"I've been fortunate enough to play at a high level for a long time. I've played in the Champions League and Uefa Cup but to win promotion was unbelievable.
"You can't really put it into words. I remember holding onto Liam Lawrence on the last day of the season and running onto the pitch when the final whistle went. That moment will stick with me forever."
