Darren England, the video assistant referee who failed to overturn Luis Diaz's disallowed goal for Liverpool at Tottenham in 2023, has broken his silence on the incident, describing it as the "low point" of his career.
Despite VAR footage clearly showing Diaz was onside, a momentary lapse in concentration led England to declare "check complete" and leave the original decision unchanged. Liverpool, who went on to lose the match 2-1, were left furious, and England was deeply embarrassed.
Reflecting on the error
The official, who was forced to see out the rest of the match, which was only 34 minutes old, fully aware he had made a huge mistake, told the BBC: "Once I realised I'd made the error, it's a really difficult place to try to forget that and move on. I can't just physically stand up and walk out and leave it alone. A lot of resilience was needed, a lot of experience as well."
England, who recently refereed Liverpool's Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, was subsequently stood down from Premier League action for three months. He did not take charge of another Reds match that season, and it was more than six months before he returned to VAR duty.
Personal toll and rebuilding
The 40-year-old has acknowledged that the intense scrutiny and widespread criticism took a considerable toll on both him and his family. He said: "The aftermath obviously was really difficult to deal with. It was challenging because it's the goldfish bowl of the Premier League.
"But when mistakes happen, then you're in the public eye and criticism's inevitably going to come your way. That was difficult because it affected my family as well. We had people outside my girls' school, journalists and things like that. That then affects you not as a referee, but as a human being."
England, who officiated this year's FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea, sought assistance from a sports psychologist. He added: "The support, not just from Pro Ref (the referees' body) but, more importantly, from family and friends, was really crucial.
"It's about perspective as well. There's a danger that we can think we're saving lives at times, but we also realise how important it is.
"I remained as focused as I could be, working hard, trusting myself, because for all that decision in the Liverpool-Tottenham game, I've made hundreds of other decisions that are correct."
England will be on VAR duty for Fulham vs Newcastle this weekend.
