Prince William leads tributes to ‘legend’ John Motson

Prince William has hailed commentator John Motson as “a legend whose voice was football” following his death at the age of 77.

"It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today," said a statement from Motson's family on Thursday.

Prince of Wales led tributes to Motson on Thursday, tweeting to say he was “very sad” to hear of his death.

Kate Middleton's hubby wrote: "Very sad to hear about the passing of John Motson – a legend whose voice was football. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Motson, known as “Motty”, became synonymous with English football during his distinguished 50-year career with the BBC. He retired in 2018 after covering 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and more than 200 England matches.

Motson began working for Match of the Day in 1971 and commentated on more than 2,500 games. His enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the game, its players and managers, earned him a place in the hearts of fans for five decades.