Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has revealed that his mother checks all of his Twitter posts to avoid him getting into trouble.
On Monday, Manchester United's Federico Macheda was fined £15,000 by the FA for making homophobic comments on the social networking site.
A host of other footballers, including Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton, have gotten into hot water through inappropriate tweeting and Defoe is taking no chances.
The 29-year-old explained: "I only ever say sensible things. My mum edits them."
On February 29, after Defoe had received marriage proposals on the site, he tweeted: "I'll let you know which one I choose to accept later."
He quickly reassured mum Sandra, 47, by adding: "PS: Mum I'm only joking."
England international Defoe has made 28 appearances for Spurs this season, scoring 13 goals.