Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg believes simulation is the hardest thing for officials to spot and is the biggest problem in the game.

Last season was the 42-year-old’s last campaign as referee in England’s top flight as he left to take up a role as head of Saudi Arabia’s referees.

Clattenburg was hailed as one of the best referees in world football during his career and was granted the honour of officiating the Champions League final, FA Cup final and the European Championship final in 2016 – and has the tattoos to prove it.

Understandably, Clattenburg was no stranger to controversy but he shed some light on just how tough the job can be by naming the most problematic area when it comes to decision making.

“For sure it was simulation,” the County Durham-born official told the Weekend Sports Breakfast.

“It’s the most difficult situation for a referee especially in the penalty area because you have got three decisions – has he simulated where there is no contact, is there contact and is it a penalty?

“The players now in the Premier League, it is sometimes difficult because most of the players now, it has become an art.

“In the past you could easily see if he was simulating by his arms, his movement of the body – now it’s becoming more and more difficult.”

Fans berating referees for their decision making has always been commonplace but, with the addition of slow motion television replays, the criticism towards officials continues to increase.

Many people have called for officials to be able to come out in public and explain those decisions but Clattenburg insists there is a fine balance that needs to be struck.

“There’s a balance between that because you certainly don’t want a referee going on every week and probably, because I made mistakes most weeks in the fans’ opinion, I would probably be talking every week,” he explained.

“But it’s not about that. It’s probably more from an educational point of view to say this is why I made this decision, this is what I did.

“But I think in the future I would like, for example, we have got communications – at the right time you could open up the microphone at any point and tell people why you have made that call.

“Because people get upset and say well why did he give that penalty or why did he give that handball.

“At least like Rugby Union you have a chance to explain, to either the media or the TV, at least people can understand.

“Yes it might still be wrong but at least people could understand.”

Listen to talkSPORT’s interview with Mark Clattenburg IN FULL above!