Darren England has been appointed to a Liverpool game for the first time since his involvement in the infamous Luis Diaz goal at Tottenham.
Darren England will officiate a Liverpool game for the first time since accidentally disallowing Luis Diaz’s goal at Tottenham last September. England, who was the VAR official on the day, mistakenly believed Diaz’s goal had been counted as he told referee Simon Hooper the check was complete without ensuring the forward was onside.
This communication mishap caused confusion when it was later realized by the replay operator that an error had occurred. The match continued despite England admitting there was nothing he could do post-decision as revealed by audio from the incident.
Reflecting on the botched call from October, Diaz spoke with El Heraldo, expressing his frustration: “At the time, it hit me very hard, but not only to me but to all my teammates. In the middle of the game, we talked about it a lot, it was a positive result that was going to help us.”
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He added, “These are things that happen; the referees are human. You have to take it easy, and for the next one, it will be.”
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The PGMOL issued a statement shortly after the match, acknowledging a “significant human error” and promising a thorough investigation of the incident. As a result, England and his VAR assistant Dan Cook were relieved of their duties.
Since the incident, England has officiated 30 matches and returned to Premier League refereeing and VAR duties following a six-month hiatus earlier this year. He is now set to be involved in his first Liverpool match in nearly a year.
The 38 year old has been confirmed as the fourth official for Liverpool’s away game against Wolves on Saturday. He will work alongside referee Anthony Taylor, with Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn serving as assistants.
Michael Salisbury has been appointed as the VAR official, with Dan Robathan assisting him.
