Premier League referee Mike Dean admits he was "in awe" of some of the Premier League's "big personality players" when he was first promoted to become a top-flight official, before he eventually overcame his fears.
Veteran referee Dean will call time on his on-pitch Premier League career at the end of the current season, although he has been linked with a role in the VAR booth.
Fans have come to know the larger than life official as one of the top-flight's most confident referees, but he insists that wasn't always the case when he was around some big names.
"I got in the Premier League in 2000 when I was 31, 32, and you had massive, big personality players the Keanes, people like that, 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."
Dean soon got over his nerves though, and he insists that his style of refereeing - although not popular with everyone - has stood him in good stead.
"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."
Dean insists that he hasn't yet been offered a role solely as a VAR, adding that he will miss the day-to-day on-pitch involvement.
“Times have moved on, referees are getting older, I am not getting as fit as I used to be, so things have got to change,” he said in a separate interview with Sky Sports.
“I have made the decision myself, I have gone out on my terms which is what I wanted to do and nobody else’s terms which is good.
“I will miss when the season starts next season and not walking out to referee a game, but I have had a good innings with 22 years.
“It is time to move on and see what is in the future maybe we don’t know yet, but we will see.”
