Mike Dean holds a number of Premier League records, including most cards and games officiated
(Picture: Getty Images)Mike Dean is set to step back from his role as a Premier League referee at the end of the season after 22 years.
The 53-year-old is one of the most talked about characters in the top-flight and holds the record for the most Premier League games officiated (553), most red cards (114) and most yellow cards (2,026). Dean has awarded 184 penalties during his time as a referee, also a Premier League record.
Dean is in talks with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL), the governing body, over a move to become a permanent video assistant referee from the start of next season - a switch Lee Mason made after retiring as a match referee last year.
Famous for his flamboyant dismissals on the pitch and playing up to the cameras in the stands at Tranmere Rovers games, Dean is far from a typical referee. He has taken charge of two FA Cup finals (in 2008 and 2011).
Former Premier League referee Peter Walton said the top-flight will be poorer for Dean's absence.
"Many people will remember him for his flamboyant refereeing style, but they ignore how accomplished a referee he has been for more than two decades," Walton wrote in The Times.
"Everyone wanted to be Mike's fourth official, because you knew he would put you at ease.
"The Premier League will be far poorer without Mike Dean... his on-field officiating and character will be sorely missed.
"While we may not have copied him exactly, there were certainly a few of his facial expressions that I tried to use during my career.
"Mike is a character, and he does things that come naturally to him. He doesn't have to work at his body language, his facial expressions or his one-liners, and he uses that to good effect.
"He's not a guy who chases the big time; the big time comes to Mike Dean."
