Howard Webb has called time on his 25-year career in refereeing to become technical director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

Webb, 43, retires after refereeing at the very top of football. In 2010 he became the first man to referee both the Champions League and World Cup finals in the same year.

"I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career after a wonderfully rewarding 25 years on the pitch," Webb said. "I have spent over a decade with the best seat in the house for Barclays Premier League matches, been lucky enough to be involved in nine UEFA and FIFA tournaments, and taken charge of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup finals.

"Refereeing has given me so much and it's important that match officials who have had the rewards remain in the game to pass on their knowledge. I also have much more to learn about the business of refereeing and the best place for me to do that is with PGMOL.

"It's an incredibly positive working environment and we all have a common goal of improving refereeing."

Before becoming a full-time referee, Webb was a policeman in South Yorkshire.