Darren England ya rayu ɗaya daga cikin manyan kuskuren alƙali da aka fi ganewa a ƙwallon ƙafa — kuma ya fito daga cikinta ya zama ɗaya daga cikin alƙalai mafi girmamawa a Premier League.

A watan Oktoba 2023, England yana aiki a matsayin mataimakiyar alƙali ta bidiyo (VAR) a wasa tsakanin Tottenham Hotspur da Liverpool FC. Luis Diaz ya zira ƙwallo ga Liverpool FC, amma an ɗauke shi a matsayin offside. Duk da cewa hoton VAR ya nuna a sarari cewa Diaz ba ya offside ba, England ya ce «check complete,» ya bar ƙudurin da ba daidai ba ya ci gaba.

«Wancan lokaci ne na ƙasa. Mafi ƙasa, ba shakka,» in ji England ga BBC Sport.

Hanyar wahala ta dawowa

Sakamakon haka ya zo nan da nan kuma ya zama mai tsanani. Labarin ya mamaye shafukan jaridu, shirye-shiryen rediyo, da kafafen sada zumunta na kwanaki. Masu daukar hoto sun tsaya waje da makaranta yaranta, kuma an ɗauke hotuna na iyali daga asusun Facebook na matarsa.

«Ya shafi iyalina ma,» in ji shi. «Wannan yana shafar ka ba a matsayin alƙali ba, sai dai a matsayin ɗan adam.»

An cire England nan take daga jerin alƙalai na Premier League bayan kusurin. Ya ɗauki kusan watanni uku kafin ya jagoranci wasa a babban ƙungiyar ƙarshen, kuma fiye da watanni shida kafin ya dawo ɗakin VAR a Premier League. An dawo da shi a hankali, tare da alƙali mai gogewa Michael Oliver a gefensa a wasanni biyu na FA Cup yayin aikin maido da martaba.

«Na yi aiki mai yawa tare da ƙwararren masanin ilimin ɗan adam na wasanni,» in ji shi. «Tallafin — ba daga Pro Ref kawai ba, amma mafi muhimmanci daga iyali da abokai — ya kasance mai matuƙar mahimmanci.»

England kuma ya bayyana matsin lamba na tunani a cikin ɗakin VAR. Tare da rashin yanayin taron masu kallo don jagorantar alƙalai zuwa cikin aikin wasa, suna ji ne kawai muryoyin abokan aiki ta cikin kunnen hannu, wanda ke haifar da abin da ya bayyana shi a matsayin «gajiyar tunani» mai tsanani.

«Lokacin da wasan ya kasance mai cunkoso, kana duba komai koyaushe. Wani lokaci zaka fita daga ɗakin gajajjeye sosai ta fuskar tunani,» in ji shi.

Dawowa zuwa mafi girman matakin

Alƙalin ɗan shekara 40 daga South Yorkshire ya rama abin da ya rasa fiye da yadda ya kamata. A cikin 2026, an ba England manyan wasanni mafi muhimmanci a ƙwallon ƙafar Ingila, ciki har da nasarar Manchester City a kan Chelsea da 1-0 a wasan karshe na FA Cup a Wembley.

«Wannan babban farin ciki ne a gare ni, kololuwa a matsayin alƙali,» in ji shi.

A farkon kakar, England kuma ya kasance VAR a yanke shawara da aka kwatanta da «mafi girman yanke shawara ta VAR» — lokacin da aka soke daidaituwar West Ham United a lokacin ƙarin wasa a kan Arsenal bayan duba. Ya ce ya «fahimci ƙimar» wannan yanke shawara gaba ɗaya amma «ya kasance cikin natsuwa» a duk tsawon lokacin.

Ranar Talata, England ya kai wani sabon mataki, an naɗa shi VAR a UEFA Champions League a karon farko, yayin da Galatasaray suka fuskanci Stuttgart.

Abin koyi a Loughborough

Shaidar dawowansa ta wuce nadin wasanni. A sansanin horar da alƙalai a Jami'ar Loughborough, Hugh Dallas, darektan Professional Referee Group, ya daina jagorantar zaman don kiran England zuwa gaban duka, yana kwatanta shi a matsayin wanda ya «zama abin koyi.» England, wanda kwanan nan ya jagoranci wasansa na 100 a babban ƙungiyar ƙarshe, ya samu gargaɗin tafi mai dumi daga abokan aikinsa kuma an ba shi kwafen tunawa da lambar yabo ta Premier League.

England ya amince cewa duba alƙalai ba ta taɓa zama mai tsanani haka ba — ko dai daga 'yan jaridu, ko masoya a yanar gizo, ko iyaye da aka haɗa da su a hanya. Ya zaɓi yin nesa da kafafen sada zumunta gaba ɗaya.

«Dole ne ka sarrafa lokacinka yadda ya kamata, ka sani cewa ba za ka iya yin nesa da ƙwallon ƙafa sosai ba,» in ji shi. «Duk da wannan yanke shawarar a wasan Liverpool-Tottenham, na yanke shawarwari ɗaruruwa masu daidaito.»