Micah Richards learned of his father's sudden death moments before going on air for England vs Argentina

Micah Richards presented England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta having learned of his father Lincoln’s sudden death moments before going on air, the former Manchester City defender revealed on Instagram.

Richards, 38, was working for the BBC when Thomas Tuchel’s side were eliminated by Argentina. In a post shared after the broadcast, he explained that Lincoln’s death was unexpected and that he pressed on because he believed his father would have wanted him to.

“Not long before going on air today, I received the awful news that my father Lincoln had passed away,” Richards wrote. “His death was unexpected, and he has left us all too soon.”

In the post, Richards paid tribute to his father’s unwavering support throughout his playing career. “He was my greatest fan. He barely missed a game my entire life. He would take me wherever I needed to go when I was a kid and he was the proudest parent possible during my professional career. It was so rare for him to not be by my side.”

Richards drew on his father’s character as his reason for continuing to work. “I know how much watching England World Cup games means to everyone at home, and how the experience bonds families together across the generations, like nothing else. I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would’ve wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.”

He closed the post with a message to his family: “Thinking of my siblings and all my wider family today as we remember my father Lincoln, my hero and inspiration.”