'I'll miss it terribly'- Dean on '22 years at top'

Think of a referee in the premier league and you will think of one man.

For the past 22 years Mike Dean has been one of the most recognised officials in the game.

He has been at the center of many controversial decisions over the years, but is also known for his amusing facial expressions and flamboyant behavior on the pitch.

Dean, who has been a referee for more than two decades, will hang up his whistle at the end of the season.

The 53-year-old spoke to Football Focus about starting out, his favourite games, players he was in awe of, and the manager he found the toughest to deal with.

  • Football Daily podcast: All About Mike Dean

Working at a chicken factory

After leaving school, Dean took his first steps towards becoming a professional referee.

He told Mark Chapman that he started in 1985 when he put on a lot of weight and didn't have a job for six months.

I thought about what I could do to stay fit. I enjoy football. I wasn't the most mobile of people. I was 19 stone when I left school.

I got to the Football League in 1995 after doing a bit of refereeing and doing a bit of fitness work.

Dean combined his passion for refereeing and working at a chicken factory in those early years.

Dean said that he was up at half four and in work at 5am.

After I finished my shift at 2pm, I would get in the car and drive to Cumbria to referee, then return to work at 5am.

It was tough but I wouldn't change it. I have loved football since I was a child.

Mike Dean shows a red card in a game between Charlton and Leicester in 2001
Dean has shown 114 red cards as a Premier League referee - more than any other official

Being 'scared' of big decisions

Dean became a premier league official in 2000.

Dean admits he was in awe of some players during his early years.

He said that there were huge, big-personality players like Roy and Patrick, who were all around then.

It was a huge step for me to referee those players.

I was a bit nervous and scared of making a decision.

Who was the most intimidating manager?

Dean has appeared to be unafraid to make some of the big decisions even if they upset them.

Sir Alex Ferguson was known for his hairdryer treatment of players and would also not shy away from giving his thoughts on the performance of the referee.

Dean claims he was not as angry behind the scenes with officials as he was with the Scot.

Dean said that he used to get a lot of stick saying he would come in and bang the door down.

He would come in now and then to express his views, but he was not as bad as people made him out to be.

Dean found the most intimidating person to deal with to be a long-time rival of Ferguson.

Dean said that it had to be Wenger when he was at the club.

When he was the manager, I always found it difficult to referee the team. If he could get one over you, he would do it.

He has been great since he finished football. Everyone is different if you cross the white line. We are normal people.

'They said they would petrol bomb my house'

Managers and players are not the only ones angry by refereeing decisions, and sometimes the abuse goes too far.

Tomas Soucek was sent off by Dean in the closing seconds of the West Ham-Fulham game.

Dean had been asked by the video assistant referee to check on the pitchside monitor before sending off Soucek for elbowing a player in the face.

Mike Dean sends off Tomas Soucek
Tomas Soucek's red card was later rescinded

Dean said his daughter got death threats.

They were going to bomb the house because they knew where we lived. It was not good.

I told the league that the police were involved. I reported it to the police.

My family was affected for a couple of weeks. I took myself off games because I was not in the right frame of mind.

I am a strong person at times. At times, I can be weak. I had to be strong for my family. It was difficult.

I had West Ham four weeks later and I was surprised to get it. I apologized to Soucek, but he came over and was great.

'I'll miss football terribly'

Dean looks back on his career and says he will miss it next season.

He said he was proudest of being at the top for 22 years. For 22 years, players can be at the top. I have been in good shape.

I have been refereeing the best football ever and having the best seat in the house every week and not having to pay for it, it is perfect.

I don't know what to expect in August.

Dean on...

I used to dislike it when it first came in. I ran into the bosses about it. It was not for me. I had not been told what to do for 19 years.

I have found in the past two or three years that it has helped me. I would rather be sent to the screen to make the right decision than to make the wrong one and drive home.

When Manchester City won the title in 2012 it was the favourite game. I don't think it will ever happen again - team winning on goal difference with the last kick of the match.

Unfortunately, it had to be done, and it was booked for the game. I would not have done it if he was already on a yellow card. I would have told the bosses to think of the bigger picture.

The likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Dennis Henry, and Patrick Vieira are my favourite players to referee. It was a good time to play football.

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