Michael Oliver is one of England’s most prominent and experienced referees at the elite level.
At just 25, he became the youngest Premier League referee when promoted to the Select Group in August 2010.
Over the past 15 years, Oliver has built a reputation for strong performance and consistency, while also coming under scrutiny for a few controversial decisions.
Michael Oliver Profile
- Nationality: English
- Place of birth: Ashington, Northumberland
- Date of birth: 20/02/1985
- Refereeing experience: 18 years
- Premier League debut: August 2010 (Birmingham City vs Blackburn Rovers)
Oliver’s trajectory into the top tier began through early progression via the influence of his father, who introduced him to refereeing at the age of 14.
He went on to become the youngest Football League assistant and referee and officiated the 2007 Conference National play-off final.
After becoming the youngest-ever Premier League referee in 2010, Oliver soon gained appointments to high-profile matches, such as an FA Cup semi-final in 2013, the FA Community Shield the following year and a UEFA Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus in 2018.
Oliver this season passed the 400 Premier League appearance mark as a referee.
Who Does Michael Oliver Support?
This information is not publicly known and there are no reliable sources indicating which club he supports.
Michael Oliver Stats and Discipline
Michael Oliver is regarded as one of the stricter referees in the game, handing out on average 3.23 yellow cards per match he has officiated in the Premier League.
Oliver last issued a red card in a Premier League game during Liverpool’s narrow win over Burnley in September. He sent off Burnley’s Lesley Ugochukwu for a second bookable offence in the closing stages.
Taking charge of 403 Premier League games in total, Oliver has handed out 1301 yellow cards and 57 reds in that time.
Michael Oliver 2025/26 Stats – All Competitions
| Competition | Games | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Penalties |
| Premier League | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
How Does Michael Oliver Compare to Other Premier League Referees?
Here’s a look at Michael Oliver’s stats compared to four other referees following the first three rounds of fixtures in the Premier League 2025-26 season.
| Referee | PL Games | ?Per 90 | ? Per 90 | Penalties Per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Oliver | 4 | 1 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Chris Kavanagh | 4 | 3.25 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Anthony Taylor | 4 | 3.5 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Simon Hooper | 4 | 5.5 | 0.25 | 0 |
| Stuart Atwell | 3 | 5.6 | 0 | 0.33 |
Michael Oliver Notable Matches and Controversies
Real Madrid vs Juventus (2018): Oliver awarded a dramatic stoppage-time penalty that sent Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals, leading to player confrontations with Gianluigi Buffon red-carded.
Oliver was on the end of significant public backlash following the incident and even nasty threats.
Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (2025): Oliver issued a controversial red card to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The Gunners’ appeal succeeded, with the card and suspension rescinded. Police subsequently investigated threats made against Oliver, which then propelled widespread debate about referee protection.
Millwall vs Crystal Palace (2025): Oliver failed to initially send off Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts after a dangerous kung-fu style kick to the head of Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The red card was issued only after VAR intervention. Roberts was eventually handed a six-game ban, while Oliver was subsequently not assigned a Premier League fixture that week.
