Alan Shearer apologises for mistake on BBC after being called out after Man Utd's defeat to Fulham
Alan Shearer has released an official apology to a player after making a mistake during the BBC's coverage of Manchester United's FA Cup exit.
On Sunday evening, United crashed out of the FA Cup, almost certainly ending their hopes of European football next season after Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno saved two penalties in a dramatic 4-3 shootout.
Shortly beforehand, Newcastle United were also knocked out after a thrilling match against Brighton and Hove Albion at St James Park, making Newcastle legend Shearer's job on commentary for United's match much more difficult.
Unfortunately for Shearer, things got worse as he was called out for one major blunder during his coverage of the match, forcing him to issue an apology online.
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An impressive header from Fulham defender Calvin Bassey put the visitors up ahead of half-time before a heroic leveller from United captain Bruno Fernandes late in the match took the fixture to extra-time.
But before extra-time could get underway, Shearer was asked to name his man of the match and, despite his stellar performance, he controversially snubbed Bassey and instead opted for Fernandes.
“I thought Calvin Bassey was very good,” Shearer explained on the The Rest Is Football podcast. “The problem is with man of the match, you’ve got to say it five minutes before the end. I’m thinking, ‘What do I do?’ I’ve got to give it before the penalties.
“So, I just thought Bruno’s got Man United back into the game with the one piece of quality that they needed. It was him who dragged them [into it] and was playing all these probing passes.
"But if I could’ve waited until after the penalties, then it might have gone to Leno, and it perhaps should have gone to Calvin Bassey, who I thought was absolutely superb at centre-half.”
Podcast co-host Micah Richards then hit out at Shearer, claiming that Bassey deserved the award and missed out due to the fact that defenders are typically overlooked for awards.
Shearer agreed, adding: “I send my apologies to Calvin Bassey, then. He should’ve got man of the match. There you go.”
Fulham's huge win over United booked their place in the quarter-finals, where they will host London rivals Crystal Palace on March 29.
Topics: FA Cup, Alan Shearer, Fulham, Bruno Fernandes, Man Utd
Ben McCrum