Former Premier League referee David Coote has insisted that his drug use had no bearing on his on-pitch decisions.

Coote was in October initially suspended by the referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), after a video of him calling ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp “arrogant” and a “German c***” circulated on social media.

David Coote has opened up about his sexuality, drug use and the pressures of being a Premier League referee in a tell-all interview almost two months after he was sacked by the PGMOL. The