Mark Clattenburg has refereed some of the biggest football matches in the game.
Just not THE biggest. The iconic Premier League whistler has taken Champions League finals and managed some of the best players the world has ever seen.
Still, the Englishman wishes he had been able to take charge of the Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers.
It must be one of the most difficult fixtures to referee with so much riding on it and the scrutiny being significantly ramped up beyond any other game in the Scottish Premiership match calendar.
Mark Clattenburg on ‘regret’ of never refereeing Celtic vs Rangers
But that would never have put off Clattenburg who instead would likely thrive off the pressure and the intensity of the moment.
“I would have loved to referee Celtic vs Rangers as you know the history and rivalry,” Clattenburg told Rangers News.
“This and the El Clasico was also a regret as they did not draw each other in Champions League when I was referee.”
Referees are part of an exclusive club and while regular football fans may not always like them, nor will they understand the desire to do the job, they are such a massive part of the game we love.
So it is vital for the men and women who lead matches to come together and share advice, feedback and even sometimes horror stories from their games.
What Scottish referees have told Clattenburg about Glasgow derby
Clattenburg says he has had conversations with numerous Scottish referees over the years and they always say the same thing about the derby in Glasgow.
“I have spoke to many Scottish referees and it’s always intense as you are always accused of being a supporter of one of the clubs.”
Plenty of refs in this country have had stinkers on derby day with wrong call after wrong call taking up the headlines for months after the action.
But Clattenburg has a plan mapped out for how he would manage a game like our showpiece.
He added: “I would referee it with common sense and empathy and hope that the match is talked about for the football and not referee decisions.
