Mike Dean’s chances of appearing on reality television have been lowered following rumors he is expected to retire from on-field refereeing at the end of the season.
Dean, 53, is reportedly in talks to retire and move into the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) booth ahead of the 2022-23 season.
When questioned, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) refused to comment on Dean’s prospective move to VAR. Dean is now a massive 2/1 favorite to feature on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ according to new odds provided by Ladbrokes.
Dean – who has worked at the top level of English football since 2000 – is expected to be put up for the Bushtucker Trials when the show returns to Australia from Wales later this year.
Trials are an integral aspect of the competition, as they enable campmates to earn stars and purchase food for the camp.
Typical challenges frequently confined celebrities to exceedingly small quarters infested with insects or forced them to confront their fear of heights.
Alex Apati, Ladbrokes’ public relations manager, said: ‘With Mike Dean presumably poised to retire from refereeing, we would not be surprised in the least to see I’m A Celebrity bosses swoop up the one man football fans despise.’
And if he visits Australia later this year, expect to see records smashed for the amount of Bushtucker Trials voted for, in an epic act of fan vengeance.’
Dean has established himself as one of the most recognizable officials in English football, having issued the most red cards in Premier League history – 114.
According to reports, the Tranmere Rovers supporter considered retiring from on-field refereeing last season, but was persuaded to stay and help develop the future generation of referees.
At the moment, only Lee Mason, who retired from Premier League on-field officiating last season, has a full-time VAR duty.
Along with Dean, PGMOL will undergo a leadership transition over the next few years, with senior officials Andre Marriner, Martin Atkinson, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss, and Graham Scott all over the age of 50.
Dean is the Premier League’s current longest-serving referee, having officiated 553 matches as of the most recent round of matches.
He has presided over some of English football’s biggest matches, including two FA Cup finals, and has gained popularity among fans on social media for his no-nonsense approach to players.
Dean also stepped in as an emergency fourth official for Tranmere last year, during a match against Walsall.
He arrived at Prenton Park as a spectator but hurried down from the stands when an assistant was forced to leave the field due to an injury. Dean expressed his ‘confidence’ and ‘arrogance’ in his ability as a Premier League referee during a rare interview with the Peter Crouch Podcast in February 2020.
‘I know there is an air of arrogance about me when I step out onto the pitch. However, I have a great deal of confidence in myself because I believe in my talents,’ he explained.
‘Because of the way I referee, I will not jump out of the way if the ball comes towards me; instead, I will let it pass between my legs. That is simply the case.
‘I adore a stepover… I adore them. You just do it; I enjoy my work and it shows in the way I referee.’