Former England striker Gary Lineker has apologised to Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen after previously suggesting the Galatasaray forward “disappears in big matches.”
The apology came on Friday during Lineker’s podcast, The Rest is Football, days after Osimhen scored the decisive penalty in Galatasaray’s shock 1–0 Champions League win over Liverpool.
Osimhen’s commanding performance against Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté also made him the highest-scoring Nigerian in the competition’s history.
“I need to apologise to Victor Osimhen,” Lineker said. “I remember I intimated that perhaps he goes missing sometimes, and I believe that is actually completely not the case. I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t spout rumours on these things. My bad, my bad on that.”
Victor Osimehn. Photo Credit: Getty Images
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The former England captain admitted his earlier view had been unfair, adding that Osimhen’s quality was clear to anyone who had seen him play live.
“I saw him play against Leicester in the competition a few years ago, in Europe, and he was exceptional,” he said.
“You really get a feel for somebody when you’re in a stadium. He’s quick, he’s tall, he’s a good finisher, he’s brilliant in the air, he’s a hell of a player.”
Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently this season for a reported Turkish record fee of €75 million after a prolific loan spell from Napoli, where he scored 37 goals in all competitions.
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The 26-year-old has continued his fine form, with three goals in five appearances so far this season.
