BBC pundit told his dad had died moments before going on air for England's World Cup defeat

Micah Richards shared he was told his father had died just moments before going on air for England's World Cup defeat to Argentina.

The former Manchester City defeat wrote an emotional message on social media shortly after the programme had ended, saying: "Dad would've wanted the show to go on".

Richards, 38, was working as a pundit for the BBC in Atlanta when he discovered the news.

Alongside a picture from his childhood, he wrote: "Not long before going on air today, I received the awful news that my father, Lincoln, had passed away.

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"His death was unexpected, and he has left us all too soon.

"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.

"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."

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Richards continued: "I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would've wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.

"Thinking of my siblings and all my wider family today as we remember my father Lincoln, my hero and inspiration."

Several of his colleagues sent messages of support to the 38-year-old following the heartbreaking news.

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who was working with Richards, wrote: "Sending love Meeks… here for you all. RIP Lincoln."

Jamie Carragher, who works with Richards on Sky Sports and CBS, said: "Sending love to you & all the family."

Former England Lioness Jill Scott wrote: "Thinking of you and your family Micah."

Richards has previously spoken about the influence of his father, who came to the UK from St Kitts in the 1960s.

In 2007, Richards said: "I grew up in Chapeltown, a rough area of Leeds. There was all sorts of stuff – drugs and fighting.

"There is a point when you are 15 or 16 when you might want to get involved in it. There was definitely a temptation, but I stayed grounded.

"I have been able to deal with all the stuff that has come my way. That's down to Dad. He's brought me up well. My Dad is a strong character. He is very principled. He's a Rastafarian. He has set standards for me.

"It's been great to have that sort of person behind me, but at the same time I learned how to be my own man.

"Dad's always been here for me."

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