Darren England has lived through one of football's most public official failures — and emerged from it as one of the Premier League's most respected referees.

In October 2023, England was serving as the video assistant referee (VAR) during a match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC. Luis Diaz put the ball in the net for Liverpool FC, but the goal was flagged as offside. Despite the VAR image clearly showing Diaz was onside, England declared "check complete," allowing the incorrect decision to stand.

"That was a low point. The lowest point, of course," England told BBC Sport.

A difficult road back

The fallout was immediate and overwhelming. Newspaper front pages, radio phone-ins, and social media were consumed by the story for days. Photographers stationed themselves outside his daughters' school, and family photographs were lifted from his wife's Facebook account.

"It affected my family as well," England said. "That then affects you not as a referee, but as a human being."

England was removed from Premier League selection immediately after the error. It took nearly three months before he officiated a top-flight match again, and more than six months before he returned to the VAR room at Premier League level. He was guided back gradually, with senior referee Michael Oliver assigned alongside him for a pair of FA Cup ties during his rehabilitation.

"I did a lot of work with a sports psychologist," England said. "The support — not just from Pro Ref but more importantly from family and friends — was really crucial."

England also reflected on the mental demands inside the VAR hub itself. With no crowd atmosphere to anchor referees to the rhythm of a match, only the voices of their officiating colleagues through headsets, the environment breeds what England describes as intense "mental fatigue."

"When you've had a busy match, you're constantly checking everything. You can come out of the hub sometimes and mentally you're exhausted," he said.

Bouncing back at the highest level

The 40-year-old South Yorkshire official has more than made up for lost ground. In 2026, England has been entrusted with some of the biggest fixtures in English football, including Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

"That was a huge high for me, the pinnacle as a referee," England said.

Earlier in the season, England was also the VAR for a moment described as the "biggest VAR call ever" — when West Ham United's stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal was disallowed upon review. He said he "absolutely understood the magnitude" of that decision but "kept calm" throughout.

On Tuesday, England reached another milestone, appointed as a VAR in the UEFA Champions League for the first time, as Galatasaray faced Stuttgart.

A role model at Loughborough

The measure of his recovery extended beyond match appointments. At a referees' training camp at Loughborough University, Professional Referee Group director Hugh Dallas paused a session to call England forward, describing him as someone who had "become a role model." England, who had recently taken charge of his 100th top-flight match, received warm applause from his fellow officials and was presented with a Premier League plaque and medal.

England acknowledges that scrutiny for referees has never been more intense — whether from journalists, fans online, or parents on the school run. He has chosen to stay off social media entirely.

"You have to manage your time accordingly, to be aware that you can never really switch off from football," he said. "For all that decision in the Liverpool-Tottenham game, I've made hundreds of other decisions that are correct."