England's spin king Monty Panesar, an alumnus of St Mary's University, Twickenham, and now a columnist, pays tribute to John Motson whose death was announced yesterday.

John Motson - the voice for British football - has died aged 77.

During a remarkable career he provided the soundtrack to some of biggest highs and lows of British football, commentating on more than 2,000 games and 10 World Cups.

'Motty' will be sorely missed by the fans who grew up listening to him from the 1970s through to the explosion of the English game in the Premier League era.

He was the main voice for Match of the Day and was loved by generations who loved his humour – and succession of sheepskin coats, which became something of a trademark.

Despite the fact he mixed with the greats of the British game and was welcome in the corridors of the richest clubs in the land, he was a particular fan of grassroots football and his beloved Barnet team.

Motty, who began working for the BBC in the mid-1960s, was married to his wife Annie for 45 years and the couple had one son – Fred.

After a period with the BBC in Sheffield, he joined Match of the Day in 1971 and became a regular commentator during the 1971-21 season.

During his trial run with BBC, the FA cup clash between Hereford and Newcastle changed his life forever.

Talking about that giant-killing, he said: "I was on trial that year at the BBC. I hadn't got a contract at that stage. I had been in radio, and they kind of borrowed me for a year.

"If Newcastle had won it, the match would have been shown for about three minutes on Match of the Day. When Ricky George scored the winning goal in extra-time, the match was propelled to the top of the running order and we had an audience of 10 million."

It was that moment of being at the right place at the right time as talent only takes you so far. He definitely was that moment with BBC that the young Matson could handle the big stage.

Famous for his common touch, Motty actually attended boarding school near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, where he came away with an O Level in Latin. It was a school where rugby, cricket, and hockey took centre stage. He was once put into detention for playing football on the grounds.

He took his first steps into journalism with Barnet press as a junior reporter. It was with Daily Sheffield Morning Telegraph that he had the opportunity to test himself behind the microphone.

His editor at the time said: "I really think you should try the world of the voice rather than the written world". It wasn't a knockback for Motson, who made the most of his new-found skill."

He went to cover two Olympics in 1972 and 1976. He always had a unique take on the beautiful game of football and his was renowned for the many hours of diligent research he put in.

His famous quote "This is getting better and better and better" after England won 5-1 against Germany during the 2002 World Cup qualifier was delightfully repeated by the England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.

After commentating on his last game during the 2017/2018 season, he went on to collect a special award from BAFTA and subsequently an OBE, recognising a distinguished career in broadcasting. As a nation we will miss his iconic voice, unique insight and, most of all, the joy of his commentary.