Mike Dean is departing the Premier League after deciding to leave the refereeing body PGMOL, spelling the end of an era for the match official.
Dean, 55, spent last season as a VAR following on from his high-profile career as a referee in England’s elite league. He also spent time coaching match officials over the course of the last campaign.
Dean, who will announce what is next for him in due course, started officiating in 1985 and rose to the top of the refereeing rankings.
He was promoted to the Premier League in the year 2000 and went on to oversee more than 550 matches.