Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement from elite officiating, highlighting the impact of the “intense” pressure of the role.
The 47-year-old Manchester official oversaw 668 professional domestic games, including every major domestic cup final, and was promoted to the Premier League in 2010.
Taylor refereed at four major international tournaments, specifically the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, and the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, taking charge of 163 international matches in total.
His final match was a World Cup round of 16 tie between Portugal and Spain earlier this month, and he stated that the time was right to step aside due to the intense pressure and constant scrutiny of elite-level officiating.
“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense, and the scrutiny is constant,” Taylor said.
“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.”
Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, praised Taylor as a ‘fantastic servant to the game’ and one of the most successful officials English football has produced, highlighting his professionalism and role model status.
He said: “Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage.
“He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games.
“We thank him for his immense contribution to the game and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.”