A veteran British broadcaster and England legend, Gary Lineker, has apologised to Nigerian and Galatasaray Striker Victor Osimhen over his comment.
Lineker, a former England captain and BBC icon, issued this apology on his popular podcast, “The Rest is Football,” stating that he regretted criticizing Osimhen’s work ethic.
Lineker, also renowned for his sharp punditry and storied career that included 80 goals in 149 appearances for the Three Lions, had previously cast shade on Osimhen’s reliability.
Back in the summer transfer window, as the 26-year-old forward opted for a move to Galatasaray from Napoli amid stalled talks with Premier League giants like Chelsea and Arsenal, Lineker questioned the striker’s work ethic.
He said then: “I saw Osimhen play a couple of times against Leicester when they were in the Europa League.
“He was so impressive and I’ve followed his career because of that. He was absolutely brilliant for Napoli. I mean, he was sensational.
“I do hear on the grapevine that a reason one or two of the clubs are a little bit nervous is that he sometimes goes missing for a few days. So, there’s apparently some slight question mark as to his character in that sense.”
At the time, the comments stung, especially given Osimhen’s proven pedigree as the 2023 African Footballer of the Year and his role in Napoli’s Serie A triumph the previous season.
However, following Osimhen’s brilliance against Liverpool at Rams Park in Istanbul, Lineker said he needed to apologise to the striker.
During the podcast, Lineker praised Osimhen for terrorizing Liverpool’s backline with his pace, power, and precision.
He said Osimhen outmuscled Ibrahima Konaté repeatedly throughout the match to earn Man of the Match honors in the game
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that the game put Osimhen in history books, cementing his status as the highest-scoring Nigerian in the Champions League’s history.
Osimhen became the first Nigerian player to reach double figures in the history of the competition.
The goal took Osimhen’s tally to 10 goals in the Champions League proper.
He is followed by Obafemi Martins (nine goals), as well as Ademola Lookman, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, and Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who all have five goals.
With the development, Lineker apologised to Osimhen, adding that “it is only fair.”
“I need to apologise to Victor Osimhen,” Lineker started. “Remember, I intimated that he goes missing sometimes. And I believe that is actually completely not the case.”
“So Victor, if you’re listening, I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t spout rumours on these things, so my bad on that.
“He’s quick, tall, a good finisher, and strong in the air. He took Konate apart. He’s a hell of a player,” Lineker added in his apology.
Shortly after Lineker apologised to Osimhen, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards also praised the Nigerian striker, describing him as one of the top bagmen in the world.
Richards expressed surprise at Osimhen’s decision to move to Turkey, claiming the forward would have been one of the best strikers in the English Premier League.
“Osimhen signed a deal for four years at Galatasaray in Turkey. I can’t believe it. A top player like that should be playing. Galatasaray is a massive club, but in terms of European football, it could do better than that, in my opinion. He’d be the top three number nine in the Premier League. Fact,” Richards said on the same podcast.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Osimhen’s transfer saga dominated headlines during last summer’s window.
The Nigerian international fell out with Napoli and was discussed by many European clubs.
During the 2025 transfer summer, Osimhen attracted interest from Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle, as well as a €50m-per-year offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal.
However, after several back-and-forths, Galatasaray was able to permanently sign Osimhen.
