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Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has sparked major controversy after admitting that he used to play secret mini-games while officiating top-flight matches. The retired official said he would deliberately avoid blowing his whistle and would try to remain inside the centre circle for as long as possible purely for amusement. The admission has angered both former players and supporters.

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Dean admits to strange on-pitch behaviour

Speaking on Jamie Vardy's podcast this week, Dean revealed that he took part in secret challenges during his 22-year career as a top-flight referee. According to The Guardian, refereeing body Pro Ref have been left puzzled by the claims.

Dean said: "We used to say, 'We'll kick off now. Right, see how long we can go without blowing a whistle.' I've done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR obviously – [I] went 20, 25 minutes without blowing a whistle." He added: "I used to do another thing. I used to stand in the centre circle – see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave. That was just me joking about. I got about 15 minutes once."

Agbonlahor gives brutal verdict on former official

The revelations have not been received well by former players who were on the pitch when Dean was refereeing. Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor was left furious by the admission and strongly criticised the referee on talkSPORT.

Agbonlahor said: "I didn't get on with Mike Dean at all. He's the sort of referee that gives it back to players. He had that arrogance about him. One word to describe him. I would say he's a prat. That's just the perfect word for him. I just think back to games now and I'm like, you were refereeing games and you were having a joke about."

How the secret games could have affected match decisions

Agbonlahor also questioned how these personal challenges may have influenced key decisions in important Premier League matches. Without the support of modern technology to correct mistakes made on the field, the former forward believes the referee's lack of movement could easily have changed outcomes.

Agbonlahor added: "It's like, 'Oh okay, I want to beat my friend who I've had a little joke with. How long can we go without blowing our whistle or leaving the centre circle?' Referees should be up and down so they don't miss anything, there was no VAR back then. So you might have missed penalties or free kicks because you want to joke and stay in the centre circle."

What next for Dean and the refereeing body?

After this latest public relations embarrassment, Dean is likely to face greater scrutiny over his media appearances and any future punditry work. Although Pro Ref have not yet issued a formal statement, they will no doubt want to distance themselves from the remarks. Fans will now watch closely to see whether any further action is taken against the retired official over his controversial admissions.