The old mantra that the best type of referee is one you don’t realise is even there has never really applied to Mark Clattenburg.

Very fit, good looking — and with an apparent passion for popular music, as was so infamously reported earlier in his career — the new head of refereeing in Saudi Arabia couldn’t be any less like the traditional image of officialdom.

The stereotypical image of any man in black has always been seen as more akin to the role of a schoolmaster — a right stickler for the rules.

Think David Elleray, the FA referees’ committee chairman and former Harrow house-master (Old Harrovians include Winston Churchill and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru).

Clattenburg is, well, just that bit more Ed Sheeran — the artist he got into trouble because of as he dashed off on his own from a Premier League match in 2014 to watch a concert rather than leaving with the other officials as is protocol.

Saudi Arabia may not be a country readily associated with pop music but make no mistake, football fans and officials in the Kingdom should be having a big song and dance about Clattenburg’s appointment.

Because it is a massive coup.

Clattenburg is the best referee in the world. It is akin to Lionel Messi (or, sorry, Cristiano Ronaldo) agreeing a move to the Saudi Professional League.

He comes to Saudi Arabia, at just 41, having taken charge of the 2016 Champions League final in Milan between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and the Euro 2016 final involving hosts France and their surprise conquerors Portugal.

As the tattoos on his arm commemorating those finals attest to.

But inking a deal for Clattenburg will allow football in Saudi Arabia to write a huge new chapter.

The Englishman spoke at his press conference unveiling of how he will prepare the country’s refereeing department for the introduction of professional referees — a huge and vital step.

England introduced professional referees to the Premier League in 2001 and the benefits have been enormous. Officials, who have incredibly difficult and stressful positions, are able to properly prepare for matches when they have full focus on their only job at hand.

Clattenburg also spoke of how he will use his “passion and education” to improve refereeing standards in Saudi Arabia.

Interestingly, and importantly, he also confirmed he will use his expertise to referee “some matches”. It would have been a shame if someone of that level of international experience was to be solely consigned to the stands rather than on the pitch too.

Rather than being seen and not heard, Clattenburg is known for his chatty style on the pitch — someone who tries to treat the players as adults rather than errant schoolchildren. He is also known as someone who tries as much as possible to play the advantage rule.

Referees are normally only highlighted when they make mistakes.

And being so high-profile, the Geordie ref has had his share of on and off-field controversies.

But perhaps proof of how highly-held Clattenburg is in world football is that already questions are being asked of whether he will be able to accept his inclusion on Fifa’s shortlist for the 2018 World Cup in Russia under the Saudi Arabian FA.

If so, you could certainly see him being awarded the final.

And finally...

Sutton United’s substitute goalkeeper is a 20 stone 46-year-old who has just been asked by a magazine to do a fully naked photo shoot with everything off apart from his goalie gloves.

Can you imagine if Wayne Shaw comes on and helps dump Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Monday? Now that really would be a ‘magic of the FA Cup’ tale.