Former England striker and football pundit Gary Lineker has publicly apologised to Victor Osimhen after the Nigerian forward’s outstanding performance in Galatasaray’s victory over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League midweek.
Lineker, who had previously claimed that the Napoli striker “sometimes goes missing” in matches, made a heartfelt apology in a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, admitting he had misjudged Osimhen’s consistency and quality.
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“I need to apologize, by the way, to Victor Osimhen,” Lineker said. “I intimated that he goes missing sometimes, and that’s completely not the case. So, Victor, if you’re listening, I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t spout rumours on these things, my bad on that.”
Osimhen was in superb form against Liverpool, scoring from the penalty spot to hand Liverpool their second defeat of the season.
The goal also made him the first Nigerian to score 10 UEFA Champions League goals, achieving the milestone across three different clubs.
Lineker, who enjoyed a celebrated career with Leicester City, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur, went on to hail the Super Eagles star as one of the most complete centre-forwards in world football.
“They paid, what, 75 million euros for him — about 60 million quid — and when you think about it in the grand scheme of things, his record is fantastic,” Lineker added. “He’s quick, tall, a good finisher, brilliant in the air, a hell of a player.”
Despite only returning from injury the previous weekend, Osimhen was trusted to start by Galatasaray and he repaid that faith with a commanding display, constantly troubling Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté.
Since joining Napoli in 2020, the 26-year-old has evolved into one of Europe’s most feared strikers, playing a crucial role in ending the club’s 33-year wait for a Serie A title.
He also made instant impact with Galatasaray by winning the Turkish league scoring over 30 goals after his first season with the club.
Lineker’s apology underscores the growing global respect for Osimhen, whose performances continue to affirm his place among the elite strikers of modern football.
The post has since gone viral, drawing thousands of likes, shares, and comments from fans praising both Lineker’s humility and Osimhen’s brilliance.
