Disgraced ref David Coote might return to soccer as he is ‘excellent for VAR pundit’
The 42-year-old former prem ref, who recently came out as gay, has been linked to a move into the world of punditry following his dramatic fall from the top echelons of PGMOL
Former Premier League ref David Coote could make a shock return to football – but not with a whistle in hand.
His pals reckon he’d be perfect as a VAR instructor or pundit after his brutal dismissal from officiating.
The 42-year-old, who came clean about his cocaine use and struggles with hiding his sexuality in an interview with The Sun, is already being tipped to take on a behind-the-scenes role in football.
A source close to Coote said: “He’s built up an incredible wealth of knowledge and skill. It would be a massive shame if that was lost because of mistakes he made under moments of incredible stress.
“He still gets on with all the other referees and I could see him taking a role somewhere. He’d be perfect as a VAR pundit or expert.”
Coote himself hasn’t ruled it out, admitting he’d love to stay in the game: “Whether it would be with a whistle in my hand would be another matter. That’s not for me to judge. But in terms of utilising my experience, I hope there’s an opportunity to do so in some way.”
Coote was considered one of the UK’s top VAR operators before his sacking and was a regular face on the international scene. He’s even been described as “unbelievable” when it comes to training and mentoring younger refs.
Paul Field, head of the Referees’ Association, praised Coote’s work with up-and-coming grassroots officials, saying: “The work he does with young people is exemplary. He’s an unbelievable tutor who puts so much time and effort into developing others.”
Coote’s dramatic fall from grace began after footage emerged of him snorting cocaine at Euro 2024 and calling former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp a “c***” in a shocking rant.
The ex-ref has since admitted he was “not sober” at the time and was battling personal demons, including the loss of his mum and his uncle’s motor neurone disease diagnosis.
The stress of managing his sexuality in what he described as the “macho world” of football also pushed him to breaking point. Coote said: “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem — and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay, and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time.”
With calls mounting for him to become a VAR guru or grassroots mentor, Coote could soon turn his personal struggles into a positive. His story of resilience and honesty has already won him plenty of support.
Gay rugby referee Nigel Owens said: “When you are struggling with your identity, it’s a very difficult and sometimes dark place. Homophobia remains a problem in all sports.”