Micah Richards made a premature exit from the BBC studio during their post-match coverage of England's World Cup draw with Ghana, walking past host Gabby Logan and out of shot live on air. The amusing moment occurred after the Three Lions' goalless draw, which left them unable to secure top spot in Group L.
England held by Ghana in frustrating stalemate
Thomas Tuchel's side needed a win to guarantee progression as group winners but were frustrated by a resolute Ghanaian defence. The best chance fell to substitute Nico O'Reilly, whose late effort struck the crossbar before captain Harry Kane blazed the rebound over. The result means England must wait until their final group match to confirm their round-of-32 berth.
The BBC's punditry panel, fronted by Gabby Logan and featuring former England internationals Micah Richards, Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart, spent nearly an hour analysing the performance. Former Premier League referee Darren Cann also joined briefly to discuss a controversial decision, while co-commentator Alan Shearer gave his thoughts live from Boston's Gillette Stadium.
Richards walks out as coverage moves to iPlayer
Towards the end of the broadcast, after coverage shifted from BBC One to BBC iPlayer, Logan told the panel: "I'm staying here actually!" She was due to host the Beeb's coverage of Croatia vs Panama moments later. Richards replied: "Are you?" Logan confirmed: "Yeah we're back on BBC One in a few moments' time. Six minutes' time."
Richards then responded: "I'd love to stay and chat!" before walking straight past Logan and out of the studio without another word. The former defender's actions sparked wild laughter from Logan, Rooney and Hart. It was Richards' 37th birthday on June 24, perhaps adding to his eagerness to leave.
Before the closing montage, Logan signed off: "Thanks so much for joining us on iPlayer, do go back to BBC One. Kick-off is midnight for Panama and Croatia. I'll be there with a couple of enthusiastic new pundits!"
BBC criticised for not flying pundits to US
The BBC team were working from their studio in Salford, with the broadcaster having faced criticism for not flying their pundits to the United States for the tournament. Rivals ITV have a glitzy studio with a backdrop of New York City, in contrast.
Richards bemoans England's lack of bravery
Earlier in the show, Richards analysed England's inability to break down Ghana. He said: "That was Ghana's tactic, they were going to go in that low block and frustrate England. They did exactly that. I think the frustrating thing for me was, England weren't brave enough."
He added: "We talked about Croatia when they were in their formation, they [England] knew what they wanted to do, they were energetic and then, yes, we knew full well they'd come up against a low block but can you unpick it? I just feel people were making too many safe passes. You've got to be more brave when you come up against a team in that low block. Panama are going to do the exact same. I thought the weight of pass was off today."
Richards continued: "I thought England would win. I thought they would score early and the game would open up. In terms of how Ghana approached the game, same with Panama, they're going to be in the low block. We mentioned Cole Palmer, Phil Foden... I like everything Tuchel's done. I think he's made big decisions at the right times and I respect him for that. But my worry was, when we go against a team in a low block, have we got someone to produce one of those moments of magic?"
He concluded: "Tonight I feel as though, not that we want to talk about players who were not there, but it was stark. It was obvious for everyone to see. When we're not on transition, where Madueke is so good and the rest of the guys, when you're in them tight little pockets, can you produce something? There wasn't that tonight. I think they're growing and it's a confidence thing. If Saka was fully fit he'd be starting and he can do that as well as running in behind as well. In terms of risk today, there wasn't enough for an England team that won so well against Croatia."
