Micah Richards has revealed he was told of the death of his father, Lincoln, moments before going on air for the BBC’s coverage of England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina.
Richards, 38, wrote an emotional post on Instagram shortly after the BBC programme ended. He had been working as a pundit for the BBC’s broadcast of the match live from Atlanta and covered the game despite receiving the heartbreaking news.
‘Not long before going on air today, I received the awful news that my father Lincoln had passed away,’ he wrote, alongside a picture from his childhood.
‘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. I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would’ve wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.
Micah Richards’ father Lincoln, right, has died, the pundit said in an emotional social media post
Richards revealed he was told of the death of his father just before working as a pundit for the BBC’s coverage
‘Thinking of my siblings and all my wider family today as we remember my father Lincoln, my hero and inspiration.’
Richards received a string of messages of support from players and former team-mates.
Ex-Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, working alongside Richards in Atlanta, wrote: ‘Sending love Meeks … here for you all. RIP Lincoln.’
Spurs midfielder James Maddison said: ‘Sending love mate.’
Jamie Carragher, who works with Richards on Sky Sports and CBS, said: ‘Sending love to you & all the family.’
Jill Scott added: ‘Thinking of you and your family Micah.’
Former England and Manchester City star Richards has regularly spoken of the influence of his father, who immigrated to the UK from St. Kitts in the 1960s, in his career, while his middle name is Lincoln.
‘I grew up in Chapeltown, a rough area of Leeds,’ Richards said in 2007. ‘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. He has missed only one game I have ever played in and that was my debut at Arsenal when I wasn’t even been supposed to be in the squad.’
In 2023, Richards described his father as ‘my rock and my hero’ but said their relationship had changed after his dad and mother, Heather, separated.
Richards is a regular pundit on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Premier League and also works for CBS during Champions League games.
He played 13 times for England during a career that included spells with Manchester City, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup, Aston Villa and Fiorentina in Italy.
