Since retiring as a football referee Mike Dean has appeared on TV in various guises – whether it be as a football fan in the stands, TV pundit or analyst.
And next week, the 57-year-old will turn his hand at another sport but not in a role that you would think.
Dean will be in Malaga for some golf but not to play – but to caddie on the Ladies European Tour.
Speaking about life post-referring, Dean told The Overlap Fan Debate – brought to you by Sky Bet about his interests since hanging up the whistle.
‘I’m doing Soccer Saturday every week with the lads which is really good. I do selective games on Sky on a Sunday,’ he said.
‘I do a bit of caddying on the women’s golf tour which is quite good. I’m doing one in Malaga in the next couple of weeks.
Mike Dean has revealed that he will caddying on the Ladies European Tour later this month
Dean has caddied on the tour before – having done so for Australian Whitney Hillier in the past
The 57-year-old is best known for being a Premier League referee but caddies part-time
‘I’m quite keen on horse racing as well and have started my own syndicate which has taken off.’
The tournament he is referring to is the Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open de Espana at the Real Club Guadalhorce Golf in Malaga across November 27-30.
It’s unclear who he will caddie for at present but this isn’t the first time Dean has done this role.
He’s been on the bag for Welsh golfer Lydia Hall before as well as Australia’s Whitney Hillier – witnessing her once hit a hole-in-one in Spain during the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open in September 2019.
Dean didn’t start life as a caddie post-refereeing though, in fact juggling the two roles during the latter years of his main job when he could in the off-season.
He first got into caddying having simply enquired because he is a keen golfer who wanted to help out.
Speaking in 2023 to the DP World Tour, he said: ‘I just enquired about it about six or seven years ago to try and help out and got a couple of jobs early doors. I try and do two or three jobs a year if I can.
‘Each job is different but I quite enjoy doing the caddying so it’s nice to come out and help once in a while.’
In September 2019, he caddied for Hillier on the Ladies European Tour as she hit a hole-in-one
The Premier League referee was visibly delighted with Hillier after her incredible drive
However, Dean stressed two years ago that being a caddie would not be a permanent career changing when asked if he would do it full-time.
‘Not for me, no. I just enjoy doing it every now and again,’ he continued at the time.