Former England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards says his father, Lincoln Richards, died shortly before he went live for BBC coverage of England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina. Richards, 38, was part of the BBC punditry team in Atlanta alongside Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart for the Wednesday broadcast. According to Richards’ account on Instagram, he received the news moments before going on air, and the death was unexpected. He continued working during the programme, with Richards describing his father as his “biggest fan” and someone who rarely missed watching his games as a child and during his professional career. After the broadcast ended and England were eliminated from the tournament, Richards shared a tribute post. The outlets report he said his father would have wanted the show to go on, and he expressed condolences to his siblings and wider family as they remember Lincoln. The reports align on the timing of the news, the fact that Richards was on-air as a BBC pundit, and that he paid tribute afterward.