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Mike Dean 'will be staying on as a Premier League referee next season despite retirement fears' as stalwart official looks to move into 22nd year of taking charges of top-flight matches

Mike Dean is set to stay on as a Premier League referee next season despite fears he would retire from officiating, according to reports.

The 52-year-old is about to finish his 21st season of top-flight officiating later this year, a campaign which has been played without spectators inside stadiums and contained several VAR controversies and rule changes.

Top-flight referees such as Phil Dowd and Mark Halsey opted to retire in their early-50s and it was feared that Dean would follow his fellow officials in hanging up his whistle after a challenging season.

Mike Dean will be staying on as a Premier League referee next season, according to reports
The iconic 52-year-old officiating has spent more than two decades of working in the top-flight

But according to The Athletic, Dean is expected to stay on for another season for the 2021-22 campaign, meaning he is set to officiate in front of fans should stadiums be full by the time the new term kicks off.