Sunday 26th FebruaryManchester United vs Newcastle UnitedCarabao Cup finalWembley StadiumKick-off 4:30pm GMT

A referee since his teenage years, Sunday's game under the arch will be the first major final Coote has been appointed for, having previously taken charge of the League One play-off final between Leyton Orient and Rotherham in 2014.

The Nottinghamshire official made his way through the Northern Counties and Northern Premier League as a rookie referee before eventually, having made it through the National League stage of the pyramid, becoming an assistant in the EFL.

In 2010 he was promoted to the list of EFL referees and eight years later he became a top flight official. Coote also served as a FIFA-listed referee between 2020 and 2022.

This weekend's Carabao Cup final will be the first game involving Newcastle that Coote has overseen since the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in March 2022. In 2021/22, he also officiated in the 1-1 draw at Brighton in November 2021 and the 2-0 loss at Aston Villa in August 2021.

2022/23 stats

Games (all competitions): 23Yellow cards issued: 86Red cards issued: 2

Assistants

Assistant referees: Nick Hopton and Tim WoodFourth official: Simon HooperVAR: Peter BankesAssistant VAR: Eddie Smart