Neil Warnock has joked that Mike Dean is retiring "ten years too late," amid reports that the referee may step away from the game at the end of the current season.
Dean has been officiating in the top flight since 2000, making him the longest-serving ref in the division, but has been backed to move into a full-time VAR role. He has taken charge of 19 league games this season, and is one of only a handful of Premier League officials over the age of 50.
The Wirral-born referee, who turns 54 in June, has handed out more red cards in the Premier League than any of his peers. And his interactions with Warnock have certainly left their mark on the veteran manager.
