The football world is saying goodbye to one of its most respected referees. Anthony Taylor, the English official who became famous around the globe for his quick thinking when Christian Eriksen collapsed during a Euro 2020 match, has announced his retirement at the age of 47.
Taylor brought the curtain down on his international career at the World Cup, with his final match being Spain's 1-0 victory over Portugal on 6 July.
A Career Spanning Two Decades
Taylor's journey in football officiating has been nothing short of extraordinary. He enjoyed a 20-year career that spanned an incredible 831 matches.
He was first added to the Football League list at the start of the 2006-07 season, and promotion to the Premier League followed in 2010. Over 16 Premier League seasons, he took charge of 432 top-flight matches and officiated every major domestic cup final.
His honours include the FA Cup finals in 2017 and 2020, the 2015 League Cup final, the 2015 Community Shield, and the 2018 Championship play-off final. Taylor also enjoyed an outstanding international career, spending 14 years on the FIFA International List.
During that time, he officiated at two FIFA World Cups (2022 and 2026), two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024), and two FIFA Club World Cups (2022 and 2025).
Across 163 international matches, he was entrusted with some of football's biggest fixtures, including the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final, and the 2023 UEFA Europa League final.
In his retirement statement, Taylor said: "Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant.
The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career".
The Prison Officer Who Became a Top Referee
But what many people don't know is that before becoming one of the world's top referees, Taylor worked as a prison officer at HMP Manchester, famously known as Strangeways. This experience, he believes, helped shape the official he became.
Speaking to The Sun in 2017, Taylor explained: "There are skills which are interchangeable between working in the prison service and refereeing. It's not about red and yellow cards, it's about stopping things happening as much as you can.
Trying to be proactive if you see a potential flashpoint between two players. It's a lot like my experiences as a prison officer, you can almost head a problem off before it starts".
Taylor continued: "Working in a prison meant I needed a lot of communication and management qualities to deal with daily situations. I specialised in control and restraint techniques, educating staff on the best ways to control violent individuals and difficult situations that arise".
He also spoke about the perspective his prison work gave him: "I spent a considerable number of years working with those who suffered severe mental health problems, a lot of attempted suicides, that kind of thing.
And experiencing all that can lend a massive amount of perspective when you're refereeing and in life in general. I've seen the depths that people can reach, sometimes through no fault of their own".
The Day He Helped Save Christian Eriksen's Life
Taylor received widespread praise for the way he handled the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, which had to be halted when Christian Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. The moment was captured on television screens around the world, and Taylor's response was nothing short of heroic.
Taylor revealed that he knew straight away that Eriksen's life was in danger. "I could tell straight away. Christian was on his own.
The only thing that was close to him was a bouncing ball which hit his knee". TV cameras showed how Taylor stopped play within four seconds, ushered medical teams to the player, and remained calm throughout the crisis.
Medics say his prompt action helped save Eriksen's life. Chris Foy, who mentored Taylor when he was establishing himself as a Premier League referee, told the Daily Mail: "Anthony was a prison officer and I am quite sure he has been in some stressful situations before, but it is how you deal with that.
The way he dealt with it was prompt, it was quick, it was confident. And it was the right course of action so probably his prison training came in and did give him a bit of help in that situation".
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tweeted: "Encouraging news about Christian Eriksen, we are all thinking about him and his family. Well done to the medical team and Anthony Taylor for their calm and swift action".
The Referees' Association also praised Taylor, saying he "acted decisively and with the utmost professionalism by recognising the severity of the situation within seconds".
A Career Filled with Pressure and Controversy
Taylor's career was not without its challenges. He faced a great deal of abuse after the 2023 Europa League final, where Roma boss Jose Mourinho called Taylor a "disgrace" twice in a post-match news conference before confronting him in a car park - an incident that led to Mourinho receiving a four-match ban.
Taylor and his family had to be escorted away by security at Budapest airport after outraged Roma fans directed insults at him and threw a chair in his direction.
In 2023, he revealed that his family no longer came to matches he was officiating, while criticising the "expectation of perfection" placed on referees. The constant scrutiny and pressure eventually contributed to his decision to retire.
A Role Model for Many
Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, paid tribute to Taylor, saying: "Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage.
He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games including Portugal against Spain in this summer's World Cup which ultimately capped off an outstanding career".
Webb added: "He's consistently demonstrated over a sustained period why he is one of the best and most successful officials that English football has ever produced, but it's not just his on-field achievements that see him as a role model to many.
The professionalism he's shown and the support for his colleagues and the next generation of officials looking to follow in his footsteps is testament to his character".
Taylor is also the patron of 'Prison Me! No Way!', a charity which educates young people on the causes and consequences of crime. He once said: "The power of sport to influence behaviour is massive for me.
And it's under-used sometimes. You can use football as a vehicle to communicate to kids about hard work, respect, aspirations and overcoming difficulties".
A Legacy That Will Last
From his humble beginnings as a prison officer at Strangeways to officiating at the biggest stages in world football, Anthony Taylor's journey is one of determination, resilience, and professionalism. His quick thinking saved a man's life, and his calm demeanour under pressure inspired millions around the world.
Taylor was shortlisted to referee the 2022 World Cup final but was discounted because of political tensions between England and finalists Argentina.
Yet he still managed to officiate at the biggest tournaments football has to offer, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire young referees for generations to come.
As he steps away from the game, Taylor leaves behind a career that many can only dream of. His story shows that with hard work and the right attitude, you can rise from any background to reach the very top of your profession.
From the prison walls of Strangeways to the world's biggest football stadiums, Anthony Taylor proved that your past does not define your future. What defines you is how you handle the pressure when it matters most - and Taylor handled it like a true champion.
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