Howard Webb says his preparation for a Premier League game begins at the start of the week when he's given his appointment.

The 41-year-old, who has been refereeing in England's top flight since 2003 also reveals how he analyses his performances and jokes that on a Saturday night he can sometimes be a 'nightmare' to live with.

After picking up the whistle way back in 1989, his path in refereeing lead him all the way to the Champions League and World Cup Finals.

The Select Group official was back at Sheffield & Hallamshire FA offices recently, where his route to the top began, and told FATV about his life as a referee.

"Probably from the time we get the appointment, which for Premier League and Football League matches is on a Monday before the weekend, the game is in the back of your mind somewhere," said Webb.

"For some of the really big games or the title deciders, it's probably on your mind constantly throughout that week.

"So before the game I'm ok, but after the game it depends how the game's gone. I can be an absolute nightmare to live with.

"If the game's gone badly, if I've made a mistake, I'll go home and if you speak to my wife and kids they'll tell you I'm not easy to be around."

He continued: "We do really feel every mistake, every situation, we re-live again and we do really care about what we do.

"If we have a bad day it affects us and it affects other people. It affects the players, the managers, the fans. It's not just us it affects and we undoubtedly feel that."

"But as long as I keep trying to improve and learn from every situation then you'll hopefully minimise those situations and it'll happen less and less."

In this, the fifth of a six-part FATV series with the Rotherham-born referee, he also talks about the qualities that he believes the best referees must have.

"You want to be a positive influence on the game, 100 percent," he added. "Particularly if you've managed a difficult game, you've done something in a game to calm a certain player down or you've identified a big situation correctly, it's really satisfying." 

Watch part five in the FATV player above. Part six will follow next week...