• Premier League

Defoe blasts 'rude' referees

Jermain Defoe was sent off by Martin Atkinson against Aston Villa © PA Photos

Enlarge

Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has claimed that refereeing standards have fallen this season, particularly in terms of communication.

Defoe incurred the wrath of referee Martin Atkinson over the Christmas period when he saw red against Aston Villa after catching James Collins with an elbow.

That was the fifth red card of Defoe's career, and he has done nothing to ingratiate himself to referees in future by criticising the current crop.

"Communication between referees and players has got worse," Defoe told Standard Sport. "I have been playing for years now and I remember times when you could talk to referees during a game. Some refs still talk to you and try to calm you down sometimes when you get frustrated. They can sense things instead of just reacting and going by the book and booking players.

"Maybe it is difficult for a lot of referees because they haven't played football. If you go and watch Under-10s in the park on a Sunday and you see them jump, they'll use their arms because that's the only way you can jump, especially being small.

"I have to do that even more so to try to get myself up. Referees have just got to sit back and think sometimes.

"I don't think referees help to be honest. I don't know what they have been told but I remember during the game in the first 10 minutes [against Villa], I tried to speak to him about something and he just said, 'Go away from me, don't talk to me'.

"At that level that is quite rude to be honest. It's part and parcel of the game that players are going to want to come up and speak to you - it depends how you approach referees and the way I approached him was just normal."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.