Wilson: VAR in EPL will spoil the fun

Bournemouth and England striker Callum Wilson fears that the introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) in the Premier League next season will take the “fun” out of the game.

Substitute Wilson looked to have bundled a late winning goal in for England in their Nations League third-place play-off against Switzerland, only to be punished for a shirt-pull as the Three Lions succumbed to VAR for the second time in five days.

England went on to win the game on penalties, but Wilson feels the presence of VAR will take the fun out of the Premier League next season.

“Obviously I’m disappointed not to score the winner. It’s going to be like that next season I think,” he told Sky Sports News.

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“It’s going to stop a lot of the fun in the game. You score and you celebrate but then you are waiting for it to be allowed – and when it’s not it feels like an anti-climax.

“It’s frustrating on a personal note, of course. I don’t there was much in it, he’s a big centre-half and I only moved him to the side a little bit to get half a yard on him and he’s just dropped to the floor.

“If centre-backs are going to keep dropping to the floor next season there will be a lot of disallowed goals that shouldn’t be.

“It’s a contact sport and I think strikers should definitely get the benefit of the doubt.”

VAR will be implemented across all 20 clubs in the Premier League for the 2019/20 campaign, with Liverpool and Manchester United being the only two sides unable to show replays inside the stadium.