Liverpool wrapped up their title-winning campaign with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. After falling behind to an early goal from Ismaila Sarr, Mohamed Salah levelled things late on for the Reds and shortly after, they celebrated their Premier League triumph by lifting the trophy in front of their fans for the first time ever.
That wasn't the only thing that happened after the whistle was blown at full-time, however. Fans also noticed that Salah, some of his teammates and even Arne Slot headed to the assistant referee who was officiating the game and they embraced. The moment led to plenty of comments on social media from rival fans, joking that the moment proved that Liverpool had the officials on their side.
Now, though, an actual explanation as to why the Reds stars hugged the emotional-looking Derek Eaton shortly after the full time whistle was blown.
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The Game Marked Eaton's Final Ever Match
The official is retiring after the season
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Once the game wrapped up, Salah and company embraced Eaton and it's now been revealed that it was because the assistant referee is retiring this year and the game was the last he'd ever officiate. He's been working in football for quite over a decade and first operated as an assistant referee in the football league during the 2010/11 season.
He was promoted to the Premier League during the 2013/14 campaign and has since worked as an assistant referee in the top flight on 218 occasions. He's also worked 25 games in the FA Cup, stretching back to the 2012/13 season. After 15 years in the job, he's now decided to step away and retire this summer. The Liverpool players clearly wanted to pay tribute to him with the moment at the end of their draw with Palace and it made for a classy scene.
All statistics courtesy of World Football and accurate as of 25/05/2025