Mike Dean has admitted he was 'nervous and scared' of refereeing 'big personality players' like Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira when he first became a Premier League official. Dean started his career as a top-flight referee in 2000 and has gone on to take charge of 553 Premier League matches, handing out 114 red cards - more than any other official. He announced last week he will retire at the end of this season after 22 years refereeing at the highest level, with speculation rife about where his future lies off the field.
Dean has made himself infamous for his refereeing antics over the years, with his bizarre facial expressions, gesturing with players and flamboyant behaviour on the pitch. However, despite being thought of as having a confident and even at times arrogant demeanour, Dean said he was very much the opposite when he first started officiating in the Premier League. ”I got in the Premier League in 2000 when I was 31, 32, and you had massive, big personality players, the (Roy) Keanes, people like that, (Patrick) Vieira, they were all around then”, Dean told BBC Sport. “For me to come from the Football League to the Premier League and refereeing those players... from reffing League 1 and League 2 and the odd Championship game to the Premier League... it was just a massive step, and I was probably in awe of them as well to be fair. (I was) probably a bit nervous and a bit scared of making a decision”. Over the years, however, Dean left his timidity behind and had no concerns making decisions and flourishing cards to all sorts of players. Known for having fractious relationships with some players and even managers during his tenure, Dean argued he has always tried to be fair and respectful. “I think the players I've refereed over the years, some don't like me and some do like me,” he said. “But when I've given players a bit of stick back, or given them a one-liner back, and they don't like it, then I will apologise five minutes later and say "sorry for what I said before", and we move on and we shake hands. But I think players like the way I ref, because they know they can give me some stuff and I can give it them back, and they can get away with it within the boundaries that are allowed.” Despite speculation to the contrary, Dean told Sky Sports in a separate interview that he had not yet been offered a position with the VAR unit at Stockley Park.
Source: Daily Mail