'I was scared' – Mike Dean was 'nervous' to give decisions against Man Utd legend Keane and Arsenal icon Vieira
April 2, 2022MIKE DEAN has revealed he was "nervous" to give decisions against the likes of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira during the early stages of his refereeing career.
The 53-year-old started officiating top flight English games in 2000 after a swift rise through the ranks.
Dean has announced he will hang up his whistle at the end of the current campaign after more than two decades in the Premier League.
But he has admitted that in the first few years the likes of Keane and Vieira were intimidating players to take charge of.
Speaking on BBC Sport, he said: "I got into the Premier League in 2000 when I was 31, 32, and you had massive, big personality players, the Keanes, people like that… Vieiras, they were all around then.
"For me to come from the Football League to the Premier League and reffing them players, having gone from reffing League One and League Two and the odd Championship game, to being in the Premier League, it was just a massive step and I was probably in awe of them as well, to be fair.
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"[I was] probably a bit nervous and a bit scared of making a decision."
Keane and Vieira enjoyed a famous rivalry during their playing days – including a famous confrontation in the tunnel prior to a big Premier League clash.
But Man Utd icon Keane has since admitted he held a huge amount of respect for the Gunners midfielder.
Meanwhile, Dean has been linked with a permanent move into the VAR room after revealing he will give up refereeing in the summer.
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But he has dismissed those reports, insisting he has not yet had any approach about the role.
"Times have moved on, referees are getting older, I am not getting as fit as I used to be, so things have got to change," he added.
"I have made the decision myself, I have gone out on my terms which is what I wanted to do and nobody else’s terms which is good.
"Contrary to reports and speculation, I have been offered no VAR role at all, that is just word of mouth I think."
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