Neil Warnock Says Mike Dean Is Retiring 'Ten Years Too Late' In Brutal Shot Amid Retirement Plans

Neil Warnock has aimed a brutal dig at Premier League referee Mike Dean amid reports he's set to hang up the whistle at the end of the season.

Dean, 53, is reportedly set to call time on his refereeing career - with further reports suggesting he's set to move into a full-time role as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

If he does indeed retire from refereeing, then it'll bring an end to a legendary and controversial career having enjoyed 22 years in England's top flight.

Image: PA

He'll be remembered for being an eccentric character and his contentious decisions, with former Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and QPR manager delivering a parting shot to Dean ahead of a potential retirement.

Speaking to talkSPORT about Dean, Warnock joked: "[It's] ten years too late! That's the problem, it's not going to help me, is it?

"I haven't got time to go through the ones he's given me over the years, but don't forget I'm always with a little club so Mike, like some of the other referees, tends to go with the bigger clubs.

"Listen, he's as good as anything. He has great games and I look at him and think that he doesn't have to do what he does.

"He almost does things in a game to put himself out there when he doesn't have to.

"'A good referee was never seen' my dad used to say to me, and he could referee like that, but he always has to do that extra bit for some reason to get himself in the limelight.

"Overall he's a very good referee. He knows everything about it, but he just gets carried away."

Image: PA

On Dean moving into a VAR role, the veteran manager added: "Oh I hope so. It'd be lovely for me to watch him from afar with all of these other managers in the studio. I'd recommend it.

"If Mike Dean did it they'd probably change the VAR so that they've got a television camera on him all the way through the judgement!"

Topics: Football, Mike Dean, Neil Warnock, Premier League