Richards said: "Back in the day when you used to play against [Arjen] Robben, and Ribery, and Gareth Bale. The touch, go, the cross. Honest to God, the game has changed. But I love seeing this guy doing what he is now, because it reminds me of the old school."
But it wasn’t the content of his analysis that drew the attention - it was the delivery. Instead of pronouncing Ribery’s name with the typical French inflexion, Richards blurted out “Rubery”, a slip-up that instantly triggered laughter from Henry and Abdo.
Henry corrected him: "It's Ribery. Rib-ery."
Abdo added: "I made the mistake of looking at Thierry. You know that Thierry is the pronunciation police."
Unfazed but flustered, Richards attempted to recover - only to fumble the name once again with a now even more exaggerated “Rubbery”, prompting another wave of laughter.
With the laughter not letting up, Richards threw his hands up in mock frustration. “I can’t say anything on this show!” he exclaimed. "Kate move us on please, before I get cancelled."