Premier League referee appointed for first Liverpool game since Luis Diaz VAR farce

Referee Darren England has been appointed to a Liverpool game for the first time since his involvement in the infamous Luis Diaz goal at Tottenham.

England was the VAR official that day when Diaz had his strike ruled out, despite replays proving he was in fact onside. Having been flagged on the field after finishing past Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, the decision was upheld following a quick VAR check.

However, it transpired that a major error in communication had occurred, with England believing the goal had been awarded, and therefore quickly informed on-field referee Simon Hooper of a ‘check complete’, without confirming that Diaz was onside.

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The error was soon realized by the replay operator, causing panic in the VAR booth as the game restarted, with audio from the incident revealing England insisting there was nothing he could do after the decision had been made.

Reflecting on the incident back in October, Diaz told Colombian outlet El Heraldo: “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.

“These are things that happen; the referees are human. You have to take it easy, and for the next one, it will be.”

The PGMOL released a statement shortly after the game admitting to a ‘significant human error’ and committing to conducting a full review of the incident. England and his VAR assistant Dan Cook were subsequently removed from their duties.

England has taken charge of 30 games since the incident, and made his return to officiating and VAR duties in the Premier League following a six-month break earlier this year, and is now set to be involved in his first Liverpool game for the first time in nearly a year.

The 38-year-old has been confirmed as the fourth official for the Reds’ trip to Wolves on Saturday. He will act alongside referee Anthony Taylor, with Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn the assistants.

Michael Salisbury has been appointed as the VAR official, with Dan Robathan his assistant.

Liverpool.com says: England will be hoping for a quiet afternoon at Molineux on Saturday. Even as the fourth official, if there is any kind of VAR controversy in the game, you can guarantee the cameras will be straight on him.

He is at least saved from having to come face-to-face with Jurgen Klopp, who was left raging by the incident last year. We’re sure Diaz won’t have forgotten it though.