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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Kadeem Simmonds

Premier League face 'referee shortage' after fresh retirement

EPL Kevin Friend Jarred Gillett John Brooks Liverpool Michael Salisbury Tony Harrington Everton

Liverpool and Everton face a season of inexperienced referees in the Premier League after Kevin Friend retired on Tuesday.

Friend was in charge of Liverpool's fixture against Crystal Palace last season which saw him award Diogo Jota a controversial penalty, the Reds went on to win 3-1. His performance that day saw him dropped from the following week's Premier League schedule.

At 50, Friend is the youngest referee to leave game this summer alongside Mike Dean, 54; Jon Moss, 51; and Martin Atkinson, 51. Step 2 referee Tom Bramall will officiate games in the top-flight this season but is the only man in the middle to get the call up. Last summer saw John Brooks, Jarred Gillett, Tony Harrington and Michael Salisbury make the move from Step 2 to Step 1.

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