Assistant referee set for World Cup adventure

An assistant referee said he was "ready to go on to the next adventure", after being appointed to officiate at this summer's Fifa World Cup.

Stuart Burt began refereeing in 1996 and went on to become an assistant ref in the Football League and then the Premier League, where he is now in his 17th season.

Last year, he became one of only four officials to have overseen 500 Premier League fixtures, and this summer's World Cup will be his second after Qatar in 2022.

"It's obviously massively exciting," said Burt, from Northampton.

The 46-year-old said he learned of his appointment during a family trip to Drayton Manor theme park, following a message from fellow English official Michael Oliver, who is also going to the tournament.

The competition, which will be spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins on Thursday.

Burt has previously officiated at games involving modern footballing icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and has run the line at other events including the FA Cup final and European Championship.

Speaking to BBC Look East, he said: "Just to experience a World Cup on its own is a fantastic experience.

"Having been to Qatar four years ago for my first World Cup was a mind-blowing experience. We did three matches, we did a quarter-final involving Brazil. Everything just seemed to go so well for us."

Despite his experience, the official revealed he still felt "nervousness" ahead of every game.

"I can't lie, I'm quite a nervous individual," he said. "During the game you just want it to go well and put the faith in the guys that have appointed you to do the game."

Burt, along with about 170 other officials, will be based in Miami for the tournament.

He said the collection of global referees, assistant referees and video assistant referees was "like an extended family" during the competition.

"That's where your appointments [to games] are [made], you have your meals together, you train together," he explained. "You see each other all day, every day."

The Northamptonshire FA said it would like to extend its "heartfelt congratulations to Stuart on this outstanding achievement".

"His success is a testament not only to his hard work and talent, but also to the strength of refereeing within our county," a spokesperson said.

"We wish Stuart every success at the Fifa World Cup and look forward to watching him represent Northamptonshire on the global stage."

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