Mike Dean quits English football after stepping down as VAR official
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Mike Dean has quit English football after stepping down as a Video Assistant Referee.
The legendary Premier League referee is quitting as a VAR official and will no longer be part of professional English football next term.
His departure ends a run that goes back 28 years to his early days as an assistant in the Football League.
In a statement, the Premier League's refereeing body said: "PGMOL would like to place on record its recognition of Mike’s achievements as well as his immense contribution to refereeing and the game as a whole.
"We thank him for his dedication to the organisation over a sustained period of time and wish him every success for the future."
According to the Telegraph, the 55-year-old reached an agreement with Howard Webb, the head of the referee's organisation PGMOL to step down after a difficult season in which he has been found "unsuited" to VAR duties.
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Dean, an eccentric character, quit as an on-field referee at the end of the 2021-2022 campaign and moved to become a VAR official.
Despite having been just one of two full-time VAR officials, Dean was last appointed to take on the role for a Premier League game in February. As per the aforementioned publication, his skillset as a referee did not translate to being an effective decision-maker remotely at Stockley Park.
He did, however, last longer in the role than the other full-time VAR official, Lee Mason, who was stood down after being at the centre of a costly error during Arsenal's draw with Brentford back in February.
Dean started officiating in 1985 and rose the ranks to become a Premier League referee in 2000. As a top-flight referee Dean took charge of 569 games, and in that time issued 114 red cards.
His performances were rewarded with a promotion to FIFA's list of match officials in 2003, while he took charge of the FA Cup and League Cup finals at Wembley in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Football, Mike Dean, Premier League
