Keith Hackett: Wrexham star should have been sent off vs Derby County, it made Mike Dean cringe
Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham side should have been sent down to 10 men after a horror challenge against Derby County.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that referee Tom Nield was wrong not to brandish a red card at the SToK Cae Ras on Saturday, 27 September.
Parkinson remains under pressure at Wrexham, with his team winning just two of their opening six matches of the Championship campaign, but the 57-year-old is still in charge.
Derby, on the other hand, came into the game just above the relegation zone on goal difference, and the Rams should have been handed an early advantage in their Championship clash.
Mike Dean cringes at Lewis O’Brien’s first-half challenge
In the eighth minute of the game, Lewis O’Brien picked up a yellow card for a challenge on Ebou Adams. Upon closer inspection, it became clear just how high the Derby man was caught.
Speaking on Sky Sports (27 September), Mike Dean admitted that he “cringed” at the midfielder’s challenge, being left baffled by how only a yellow card was awarded.
The entire studio agreed with the former referee, and after speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett was surprised by the official’s decision at the SToK Cae Ras.
It was already the 26-year-old’s third yellow card of the 2025-26 Championship campaign, but after reviewing the incident, he should be counting his lucky stars that he was not sent off.
Referee completely wrong as Wrexham star allowed to stay on the pitch
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the decision, the former referee said: “The referee has judged this one incorrectly. It is not a yellow card. It is a challenge with excessive force that clearly endangers the safety of his opponent.
“The challenge contained a degree of malice. This is serious foul play! This offence should be sanctioned by a red card. Referees must detect these challenges and sanction accordingly.
“For serious foul play, it is a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force, or brutality, that must be sanctioned.
“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side, or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”