Monday Night Club special: Premier League & World Cup final official Darren Cann

Recently retired assistant referee Darren Cann joins Mark Chapman, Steph Houghton, Chris Sutton and Rory Smith on the Monday Night Club to provide some amazing insight into life on the touchline.

Among other things, he discusses his career - explaining what a week in his life looked like.

He also explains how VAR has changed the role of an assistant referee and explains how officials block out hostility from players and fans.

And - the big question - is Chris Sutton or Darren Cann a better footballer?

Oh - and how many miles has he run sideways? The answer is really rather amazing.

Timecodes:

00:31 Darren Cann's background.

07:46 How do referees analyse their performances?

12:20 Has VAR changed the role of an assistant referee? How do referees communicate?

18:36 Darren's best moments and the 2010 World Cup.

22:20 How do assistant referees train and what skills do they need?

25:28 What is a refereeing team like and why is a good relationship with that team so important?

BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week:

Tue 20:00 - Arsenal v PSG in the UEFA Champions League.

Wed 20:15 - Man Utd v Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.

Thu 20:00 - Athletic Club v Man Utd in the UEFA Europa League.

Thu 20:00 - Tottenham v Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League.