Mike Dean to retire at end of the season

Mike Dean is set to retire as a referee at the end of the season, bringing his notable career to an end.

Dean has taken charge of more Premier League games than anyone else in history and also dished out a record amount of red cards.

However, after 22 years in the top flight he is set to call time on his on-field officiating, as reported by the Telegraph. It is believed Dean is keen to carry on being involved in football though, and he is currently in negotiations with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) to move into a full-time VAR role.

Dean has refereed a staggering 553 top-flight matches in total, entertaining – and infuriating – players, fans and managers alike with his flamboyant style.

He was expected to quit at the end of last season but PGMOL head Mike Riley convinced him to stay on for another year to help younger officials come through the ranks.

Dean is likely to be followed into retirement by a string of high-profile Premier League officials over the next few years. Andre Marriner, Martin Atkinson, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss and Graham Scott are all over the age of 50 and will be considering quitting in the not-so-distant future.