Neil Warnock’s brutal response to Mike Dean retirement goes viral

Neil Warnock’s brutal response to Mike Dean and retirement plans goes viral after speaking with talkSPORT earlier this week.

The 73 year old has poked fun at the referee’s reported decision to step down from officiating Premier League and EFL matches, joking that it’s come ‘ten years too late’.

Dean is expected to hang up his whistle at the end of the season, and this leaded to immediate speculation that he could be a contender to join this year’s I’m A Celebrity line-up which is expected to be back in Australia.

Dean has been dubbed a ‘celebrity ref’ in the last few years, being no stranger to being the centre of attention during his reffing days,

There are other claims that he could move away from the pitch and move into the world of VAR with a role in the video room for next season. Oh the joy.

If Mike Dean does bring his refereeing career to an end, one man who clearly won’t miss him is Neil Warnock, who gave his verdict on it all on Tuesday’s talkSPORT Breakfast show.

Reacting to the news of Dean’s retirement, Warnock said: “[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.”

Asked if he could see Dean taking a role in the VAR studio, Warnock replied: “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!”

Warnock hasn’t always had a good relationship with referees, something which tends to be a topic of entertainment for football fans watching in the stands or at home.

The veteran manager recalledhis first interaction with former on-field official and current chief of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL] Mike Riley.

He explained: “It comes from leadership, and you know what I think of Mike Riley.

“The first time he refereed me it was at Hartlepool and he was so bad. I remember saying ‘can I see you after the game, ref?’ and he said yeah.

“I waited half an hour like he said. I went to see him and said ‘where’s the referee?’ and he’d run across the pitch to get out of the car park.

“I actually chased him and had a chat in the car park!

“He’s a robot as a referee. He knows all of the rules inside-out but had no idea about man management.”

There was plenty of reaction to Neil Warnock’s brutal response on the Mike Dean retirement plans as a video of the rant goes viral…

@1948griff: Love Neil Warnock. Genuine great of the game. High five @laura_woodsy as well, mo better broadcaster out there

@LewBatch1: Never change Neil 🤣🤣❤️

@D_W_NUFC: I’m concerned that Neil thinks the cost of a stamp is 12p…

@Ryza1984: Neil ain’t brought a stamp in a while

@gary_hand: I went to watch a golf tournament and Mike Dean was there, in his full refs tracksuit. Making sure everyone would recognise him. Absolute cretin. Ego maniac

@zumba_lou1982: Warnock the legend 😍

@Iain2509: When did Neil last send a letter? 12p for a stamp?

@willwilson0208: @talkSPORT Warnock’s stamp-price knowledge similar to his football philosophy, out-dated

@pokermush: He’s spot on 👏🏻👏🏻

@maria_littler: He’ll be working on VAR so we’ll still have to suffer him!!

@ReynoldsBenUK: One of the best refs in the game. Warnock needs to STFU.

@FrChewyLewie: Mike Dean is an absolute bellend. Won’t be sorry to see him go at all.

@DavidCameron77: Love him or hate him, he’s a character, sadly a dying breed, who is going to want to listen to the Potters & Artetas in 20 years time..

@steven_metcalfe: Legend 👏. He’s a character. Unfortunately new managers are robots who speak like they have just stepped out of a FA media training seminar.

@PhilCoulthard: Warnock should have retired from giving any sort of opinion 10 years ago.

@shawzyboy1985: Love Neil Warnock 🤣

@mattylufc_: I’m going to suggest that Neil Warnock probably isn’t one to be talking about people retiring 10 years too late

@_Beno_91: Attention seeking bastard is Mike Dean. Get him so far to fuck.

@mikepriestley13: Don’t hold back Neil, say what you think lad 😂

@dannyball19: Not a big fan of Warnock but what he said about Mike Dean is spot on. Loves to be centre of attention.

@HarrySymeou: Neil Warnock on @talkSPORT says he wouldn’t even spend 12p on a retirement card for Mike Dean. As straight talking as ever!