Mike Dean is about to be utterly absent from Premier League soccer subsequent season after reaching an settlement to step down from VAR duties. The 55-year-old, who just lately held talks with PGMOL chief Howard Webb, drew a line underneath his prolonged stint as an on-field referee on the finish of the 2021/22 marketing campaign.

Dean's lengthy affiliation with skilled soccer dates again virtually three many years, when he started as an assistant referee within the Football League. The Wirral-born veteran has taken cost of extra Premier League matches than some other official, with effectively over 500 video games on his CV.

But a swap to VAR at the beginning of final season didn't work out, and Dean went by means of the ultimate few months of the marketing campaign with out being assigned a single match.

According to The Telegraph, Dean just lately held talks with Webb earlier than agreeing to step down. Known for his flamboyant nature on the pitch, he's anticipated to be tapped up by broadcasters and plenty of have tipped him for a future Saturday evening tv slot.

Webb has proven a ruthless streak since entering into the highest job on the PGMOL, with Dean's former colleague, Lee Mason, stripped of his VAR duties after making errors throughout Arsenal's draw with Brentford in February.

In his 560 top-flight matches, Dean has proven extra straight purple playing cards, extra yellow playing cards and awarded extra penalty kicks than any of his friends.

"The players I've refereed over the years... some like the way I approach games, some don't," Dean defined to BBC Sport final 12 months. "When I give players a bit of stick back or a one-liner and they don't like it, I will apologise five minutes later and say 'Look, let's move on'.

"Being within the place I've been in for thus lengthy, refereeing the very best lot of soccer ever and getting the very best seat in the home each week and never having to pay for it - it is best. I really like watching soccer, I'll miss it terribly."