Mike Dean has issued a statement following controversy sparked by his claims about "playing games" while officiating Premier League matches, asserting that he has always refereed matches in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

The former referee, speaking on Jamie Vardy's podcast 'Having a Party', said: 'We had a little game where we wouldn't give an offence for as long as possible.

I did it a few times in the Premier League, and that was before VAR was introduced. Sometimes it could be 20, 25 minutes without a whistle.'

Dean continued: 'I had another game I used to play in the Premier League as well, which was standing in the centre circle and seeing how long I could stay in the centre circle without moving out of it. It was just a joke. I remember one match I was there for about 15 minutes.'

His comments shocked the football world, with fans questioning his integrity and former officials and former colleagues also speaking out.

Dean subsequently used social media to issue a statement, insisting that he always refereed matches to the best of his ability and in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

Dean wrote: 'Throughout my 25 years as a professional referee, I have always refereed matches to the best of my ability and in accordance with the Laws of the Game.'

'My mantra as a referee has always been to let the game flow, and where possible, I prefer to set a high threshold for contact, something that has been appreciated by players.'

'However, when I observe an offence that requires appropriate disciplinary action, I have always been in the correct position to make the right decision.'

'I would never want to undermine, criticise, or damage the integrity of my fellow referees' work. I have always respected the game and the responsibility that comes with it.'

Dean is scheduled to appear on Sky Sports' 'Soccer Saturday' as a pundit the following afternoon, where he is expected to discuss the controversy further.

His former boss and fellow referees have also criticised him following his claims.

Keith Hackett, the former head of the refereeing body, former Premier League referee Graham Scott, and the referees' organisation ProRef have all dismissed Dean's claims. Dean refereed 553 Premier League matches during his career.

Hackett, who spent more than two decades as an international referee and was Dean's boss between 2004 and 2010, was the first to respond.

Hackett wrote on social media: 'Mike Dean clearly lives in a fantasy world! Referee performances are scrutinised forensically. When I was in charge, referees were under close supervision.'

'During my tenure, Mike Dean would not have been able to get away with what he said under the monitoring system that existed.'

Hackett also stated that he is 'certain Dean is talking rubbish' and said: 'He's clearly damaging his own reputation. This doesn't help current referees.'

Scott, who refereed Premier League matches between 2000 and 2013, also rejected Dean's claims and questioned Dean's behaviour since retirement.

Scott told talkSPORT: 'I worked extensively with Mike — those stories aren't true. I hope people stop doing this sort of thing. It's almost like clickbait for audio, isn't it?'

'It's just to get attention and make people laugh. It's outright nonsense.'

He added: 'Personally, I found him quite shy. Personally, I found him quite reserved.'

'What happened on the pitch and what happened in referee meetings are completely at odds with the persona he's adopted since retirement, almost like a coping mechanism.'

Scott also wrote in The Athletic: 'While he had great common sense on the pitch, he's shown little of it since retiring. His usual comments that wound up former colleagues and former employers don't disappear when tomorrow's newspaper is thrown away. They linger and continue to damage the reputation of all referees immeasurably.'

Mail Sport understands that Dean's comments have also caused concern among many in the current refereeing community. Senior officials have questioned the credibility of his remarks, believing he provided insufficient detail.

According to senior officials at ProRef, Dean failed to clarify exactly when these alleged "little games" took place. He also claimed these events occurred before VAR was introduced in the 2019-20 season, meaning such incidents would have occurred under the supervision of the previous head referee. Current management, meanwhile, maintains that "fairness and impartiality" are core principles when referees make decisions.

Many fans also took to social media to express their concerns about Dean's claims.

One fan wrote: 'Why would he admit to this? "Oh look at me, I compromised the integrity of the top game for a laugh while earning big money." No wonder everyone thinks referees are like this.'

Dean acknowledged that, to some extent, he sometimes wanted to be the "main man" on the pitch.

Dean said: 'It's about wanting to be involved more than I should be. If you play advantage and it works, you will celebrate, of course; if you do it right, you want to celebrate.'

'I'd celebrate with my team on the headset. If you play advantage and someone scores from it, I think that's brilliant. I love it.'

However, although he had previously explained the comments to Vardy — who was refereed by Dean several times during his time at Leicester City — fans did not find his statement amusing.

Another fan added: 'This is a "professional" referee, by the way. You only see this in Sunday league amateur football, with underpaid goalkeepers still getting abused.'

'Just an absolute clown. Always acting like he's bigger than the game itself.'

Another account wrote: 'I might be being blunt, but instead of playing these stupid little games, why not just referee the match properly. I don't understand why Mike Dean thinks this makes him look good.'

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