Premier League longest-serving referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement from refereeing after 20 years with the whistle, including 16 seasons in the English topflight. He also spent 14 years on the FIFA international list and represented England at both the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups.
Over the course of his career, the 47-year-old officiated 831 matches across English, European and international football. His final game was the 2026 World Cup round-of-16 clash between Portugal and eventual champions Spain.
In English football, Taylor refereed every major domestic cup final, taking charge of the 2017 and 2020 FA Cup finals and the 2015 League Cup final, while also overseeing 432 Premier League matches.
Announcing his retirement, Taylor admitted the “intense” pressure and “constant” scrutiny that comes with officiating at the highest level played a major role in his decision.
Speaking in a statement released by refereeing body PGMOL, Taylor said the time was right to step away.
“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant. The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.”
Last year, Taylor told BBC Sport that his family no longer attended his matches because of the abuse directed at referees, adding that the decision to step away had been on his mind for some time.
“That’s for sure the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse.
“Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others.
“It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place.”
The Premier League has yet to issue an official statement following Taylor’s retirement announcement.
