Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has revealed he used to set himself 'mini-challenges' during matches, describing them as 'a laugh'. Appearing on Jamie Vardy's podcast, Dean stated he would see how long he could go without blowing his whistle, claiming to have gone 20 to 25 minutes in the Premier League before the introduction of VAR.
Dean also mentioned another self-imposed game: seeing how long he could remain in the centre circle, once achieving approximately 15 minutes. However, BBC Sport understands that referee figures consider these claims to be unfounded, relating to a historical period before 2019 when Pro Ref was under different leadership.
This is not the first time Dean has made controversial media statements. In 2023, after retiring, he admitted he did not intervene as a video assistant referee (VAR) in a 2022 Chelsea-Tottenham match to avoid causing a fellow referee, whom he considered a 'mate', extra 'grief'. This admission reportedly caused damage to the reputation of referees.
Dean, 58, had a 28-year career as a professional official, stepping down from on-field officiating in 2022 and retiring after a season as a full-time VAR.