Webb ready for U21 spotlight

'Prestige'
The 34-year-old is delighted to be among six referees selected for the final tournament taking place in northern Portugal over the next fortnight. As well as boosting his burgeoning reputation as a match official, Webb anticipates social benefits to his participation. "I'd like a successful tournament, for the games to go smoothly, to enhance my reputation," he told uefa.com. "But the main thing is to assist in the tournament being a success. It's all set up to have good quality football, it's a prestigious event.

'Friends for life'
"I'm sure on top of that I'll come out of it with good friends, spending up to two weeks with referees and assistants from other countries. Some of us will end up being friends for life. I want to enjoy it even though it's my job."

Show of faith
It is a measure of Webb's progress through the refereeing ranks that he heard about his appointment after working as a fourth official at Juventus in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round. "When I got back, Neale Barry, the head of the Football Association referees, called to tell me I'd been appointed. It shows the UEFA Referees' Committee has trust in the six, and for a second-year FIFA referee, I'll get plenty of experience. Hopefully the rewards will be an enjoyable time and, if successful, we can push on to bigger things."

Like father, like son
Webb already has a long career trajectory behind him, having been inspired to pick up the whistle by his father. "I've always been football mad, playing and watching," he said. "My father was a referee so I had an interest through him, and when I was 18 I became aware of a refereeing course which he encouraged me to attend. I thought it would give me an opportunity to earn extra money while at college. Because they were so short of refs locally I was given games. I showed the right attitude and was pushed up the promotional ladder, then made the choice to take it on properly."

Limited time
For all the strides he has made, however, Webb wishes his track to the top had been a little faster. "It takes so long in this country," he explained. "I started in 1989, was on the Football League list in 2000 and the Premier League in 2003. I reached the FIFA list aged 33 and there were guys there, for example from Scandinavia, who were 25. The profile of games in England is huge, but by the time you make it to the international list your time is limited to establish yourself. The idea now is to push younger guys through so they have a better chance of making the European stage."

Big matches
Nonetheless, he already has several high-profile appointments to look back on. "This season I did Liverpool [FC] v Manchester United [FC] in the FA Cup. It's always a massive game. Also, a promotion play-off final between Cardiff City [FC] and Queen's Park Rangers [FC] in 2003 and the FA Community Shield between Arsenal [FC] and Chelsea [FC] last August. That's probably the most prestigious appointment in this country, although it was great to referee at the Olympic stadium, Berlin in the UEFA Cup in November – Hertha [BSC] Berlin v [RC] Lens."

Future goals
So what plans for the future? "Short term to make this tournament a success and to continue to establish myself in Europe. Longer term, it would be fantastic to go to a senior final, UEFA European Championship or [FIFA] World Cup. You have to set yourself goals."