Republic of Ireland international striker Niall Quinn is furious with the lack of protection he gets of the field of play from referees and believes that because of this opposition managers are telling their players to go out and rough up the giant Dubliner.

Sunderland manager Peter Reid has being saying the same all season and now it seems Quinn has had enough and wants things changed.

Niall has been told by opponents from three different clubs that they were given a brief to rough him up by their managers.

Tottenham's Ramon Vega was the latest to use this tactic when Sunderland faced Spurs at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Quinn said: "It gets to me when I'm told that opposing managers are telling people to foul me because I don't get free kicks. Then when I try and tell that to referees they tell me to go away. That annoys me.

"I don't want to make a huge issue out of it but two or three people at different clubs have told me that the manager tells them in the run up to the game: "Foul him, he doesn't get free kicks.

"I've been told I'm the most fouled player in the Premiership and that's only the ones the referees have given."