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Howard Webb has made the unbelievable revelation that players asked him to be booked around Christmas time during his career in football.

The former Premier League referee spoke about the issue on BT Sport, which you can see in the above video, and admitted it's "not something fans will want to hear".

The laws of the game state that if a player receives five yellow cards they will get a suspension, meaning they miss their side's next match.

Boxing Day often hosts many big Premier League fixtures, with teams facing their rivals to help cut down on travelling for away fans.

(Image: BT Sport)

Playing the day after the 25th means footballers have to sacrifice their big day somewhat and ensure they keep one eye on the fixture.

But according to Webb, some players were not as pleased at having to miss Christmas Day as others and asked him to be booked.

In the above clip, the former official says: "A couple of times around about Christmas time in the Premier League players will want the time off.

"They will say a yellow card might suit my purpose. It's not what fans want to hear really."

(Image: Getty) (Image: Matthew Lewis)

Unsurprisingly the revelation has not gone down too well with football fans on Twitter, with some giving their opinions on the issue.

One user wrote: "If players ask for a yellow card, they should get fined and banned for a long time."

* BT Sport is your home of unmissable live football from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup. Visit btsport.com for more info.