Former Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed Premier League ref Mike Dean.

Dean sent off West Brom manager Slaven Bilic at half-time in their 5-2 defeat by Everton after the Croatian boss aired his unhappiness at some of his first half decisions.

Kieran Gibbs was sent off for the away side and an angered Bilic confronted Dean but he also saw red. But Agbonlahor sympathised with the Baggies' boss and hit out at the referee's "arrogance".

"Mike Dean is the most arrogant fool you will ever see… in not just refereeing but in life itself," he told talkSPORT.

"I've never met anyone like him. You can ask any Premier League or ex-Premier League player that has played in a game with him as a referee. He's the most arrogant person.

"You try and talk to him as a person on the pitch and he will tell you to get lost. He will say 'don't talk to me'. He is the most arrogant person and when I saw the West Brom manager [Slaven Bilic] try and go over and speak to him, I felt his pain.

"He's frustrated about something we don't know about and you want to talk to him, just speak to him like other refs do.

"Red card? What are you sending him off for? He didn't swear at you. He didn't say anything bad. Is that arrogance from Mike Dean?

"I think he needs looking at because [you need to] have some respect for the managers and have some respect for the players on the pitch. I've never met someone so arrogant in my life."