Mark Clattenburg has named Manchester United legends Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane as some of the worst players he refereed. Clattenburg began refereeing in the Premier League in 2004 and he spent 13 years officiating in England's topflight.
Clattenburg stepped away from that role in 2017 after most notably refereeing the 2016 Champions League Final and the Euro 2016 Final.
The 47-year-old refereed countless Premier League matches during his career and he was one of the most respected officials in the industry, which is why he was recently asked which players were the most difficult to control on the pitch. ALSO READ: Most Man United fans know the truth about Michael Knighton's takeover hopes Clattenburg named the five worst players to referee and Ferdinand and Keane made his list, along with Craig Bellamy, Pepe and Jens Lehmann.
Keane's inclusion probably shouldn't be a surprise, as he received seven Premier League red cards in his career. "I found him [Ferdinand] difficult to referee during that Fergie era because he was always trying to play mind games," Clattenburg told Paddy Power. "He tried to get under your skin, probably to get that next decision. "Rio was such a difficult player to referee as he was always in your face.