Mike Dean claims he PREDICTED 'AGUEROOOO' moment in 'best ending ever'

Retiring Premier League referee Mike Dean claims he PREDICTED that ‘AGUEROOOO’ moment in ‘best ending ever’, insists he was celebrating his own advantage and NOT a Spurs goal… and reveals just why he sniffed his assistant’s shirt

  • Mike Dean has opened up on his long 22-year career as a Premier League official
  • The longest-serving Premier League ref, aged 53, retires at the end of the season
  • He said he predicted the famous ‘Agueroooo’ moment in the ‘best ending ever’
  • Dean also insists he was celebrating his own advantage and not a Spurs goal
  • He also discussed a bizarre incident which saw him sniff his assistant’s shirt

Mike Dean has opened up the most memorable moments of his 22-year career as a Premier League referee – claiming he predicted Manchester City’s sensational title triumph.

The well-known official is retiring at the end of this season and has enjoyed some infamous incidents, including refereeing Manchester City’s hugely dramatic last-gasp championship win and being accused of celebrating a Tottenham goal.

And Dean claimed he knew Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time winner against QPR in 2012, which saw City snatch the title from rivals Manchester United on goal difference, was coming before it happened.

He said: ‘Best game I’ve ever been involved in, because of what was at stake… I said to the guys “something’s going to happen – if they get one more goal, they get another”. 

‘Just the best ending ever and it will never be topped again. No team will ever win the league in that way again.’

When asked if he gave Aguero a yellow card for his shirt-off celebration, he added: ‘Yeah, but you’ve got to do it properly, haven’t you. I don’t know if I’d have given him a second yellow card! Just a great occasion to be involved in, just immense.’ 

Mike Dean opened up the most memorable moments of his career as a Premier League referee

Dean says he predicted the famous Man City ‘Agueroooo’ moment in the ‘best ending ever’

Dean then discussed one of the most controversial moments of his career, which saw him accused of being a Spurs fan after seeming to celebrate Louis Saha’s goal against Arsenal in 2012 and Mousa Dembele’s goal against Aston Villa in 2015.

An Arsenal fan started a petition to prevent the 53-year-old – actually a dyed-in-the-wool Tranmere supporter – ever refereeing the Gunners again and it got 100,000 signatures, meaning it was considered for debate in Parliament.

But Dean insisted it was taken out of context and that he was simply joyous with his own decision-making.

The Tranmere fan is well known for being one of the most unique and eccentric refs around

The 53-year-old (yellow) was accused of being a Spurs fan after ‘celebrating’ one of their goals

He said: ‘I don’t think I was celebrating Spurs’ goal, I was celebrating my wonderful decision as an advantage! 

‘I got sucked in again. Because I love football, if I play an advantage and something works out, I give a thumbs up… I didn’t do it on purpose.’

Finally, he discussed a bizarre incident when he sniffed a fellow official before the pre-match handshakes.

Dean also opened up on a bizarre moment which saw him sniff his assistant’s shirt (centre left)

He said: ‘I wouldn’t say I sniffed my linesman, I sniffed his shirt. 

‘Ian puts this oil stuff on his shirt, and it stunk in the tunnel before the game, stunk going out and it just wouldn’t go away… it was horrendous so I just sniffed it.’

Dean’s eccentric refereeing style – he once pranked Sergio Aguero – is well known among football fans – but he concluded he may never have taken up the job if he had carried on ballroom dancing – which he stopped as a teen due to mickey-taking.




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