Mike Dean: Ex-Premier League referee issues ‘surprise’ claim after Man City news announced live on air
Keith Hackett has admitted he was not surprised to learn Southampton’s 4-1 loss to Man City on Sunday (19 March) may be Mike Dean’s last ever FA Cup game as a referee.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa official and former head of the PGMOL who appointed Dean to the elite list in 2000 claimed the 53-year-old should have retired at the end of last season.
BBC commentator Steve Bower revealed live on air during City’s victory at St. Mary’s that the popular referee was set to hang up his whistle at the end of the current campaign.
The Telegraph reported yesterday (21 March) he is now in negotiations with the PGMOL about becoming a full time VAR official.
Asked whether he was surprised to hear news of Dean’s imminent arrival, Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “Not really.
“I expected him to retire before then. He’s obviously been a loyal servant but age catches up, he’s 53. I already think he’s done a year too many, he would have been better off retiring last year but he’s done an extra year.
“I hope now he gets into a VAR panel role. With him Marriner, Atkinson and Moss, Scott, I think they should be all retiring and into a VAR role.
“They’ve got to get some new referees through. The standard has slipped.
“People say the Championship is not good, it’s got to get sorted. If they haven’t got the quality they’ve got to bring it in.
“Everybody is saying the standard is the worst it’s been in years, which I agree with, therefore you’ve got to change the match officials.
“It’s a young man’s game, you’ve got to be athletic. With some of these guys, their age is telling and with some the performances are dipping.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed Man City ‘won’t be happy’ after an ‘extremely high-risk’ new sponsor flouts UK law.