Premier League referees name which player was the hardest to officiate

Premier League referees have a pretty tough gig.

It’s their job to officiate 22 footballers who are desperate to win each week in front of tens of thousands of supporters who complain and abuse you for every decision you make.

Yes, they’re probably well rewarded financially but is there another job in the world where you get as much abuse and scrutiny by so many people? Probably not.

If an entire stadium calling you a w**ker for 90 minutes isn’t enough to make you cry then what about players screaming in your face?

In fairness, dissent in the Premier League isn’t as big of a problem as it used to be.

Just check out how Manchester United players reacted when Andy D’Urso awarded a controversial penalty against them…

But who are the worst players to manage in Premier League history?

Well, we’ve discovered quotes from six of the league’s finest officials down the years who told stories about trying to control some of football’s bad boys.

Interestingly, one name cropped up on three occasions…

On Bellamy: “Craig Bellamy was incredibly difficult. I watched him for two or three years — I’m a Newcastle fan and you wanted him in your team because he was a winner. But he was a nightmare to referee because he would argue about everything. If you told him it was black, he’d tell you it was white.”

On Bellamy: “I knew my relationship with him was on sticky ground when he squeezed my balls in the tunnel at the Etihad, and I don’t mean my match balls.

“He would snarl at you and throw his arms around, constantly challenging you. His language was awful, just plain rude. As a referee, it is difficult when you have a problem player like that because you are drawn to him and it’s a distraction.”

On Ferdinand: “I found him difficult to