Referee Darren England has spoken about the highs and lows of his career, from a costly VAR error involving Luis Diaz in 2023 to his recent appointment as a video assistant referee in the UEFA Champions League. The 40-year-old South Yorkshire official described the Diaz incident as the lowest point of his career, which led to intense media scrutiny and affected his family. After a period of rehabilitation that included working with a sports psychologist, England returned to the Premier League and was selected for major matches, including the 2026 FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea.
Road to recovery
England was removed from Premier League selection for nearly three months after the Diaz mistake and did not return to the VAR room for six-and-a-half months. He credits support from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), family, and friends for helping him regain confidence. His progress has been recognized by colleagues; at a referees' training camp, Professional Referee Group director Hugh Dallas introduced him as a "role model" after he reached 100 top-flight games.
Champions League debut
After 10 UEFA Conference League and six Europa League appointments as a VAR, England has been promoted to the Champions League for the first time, assigned to the Galatasaray vs Stuttgart match. He says the honour of refereeing the FA Cup final and now operating in Europe's elite competition are the result of continued hard work and resilience. England, who began refereeing at age 15 and worked his way up from the National League, still targets the Carabao Cup final and Championship play-off final as future goals.
