Commentator Martin Tyler on his World Cup highlights, Diego Maradona and The Hand of God, England's chances at Qatar 2022 and the words he's still to say after almost 50 years

Martin Tyler is someone with more World Cup knowledge than most.

The voice of football on Sky Sports has almost 50 years’ worth of commentary experience at international tournaments.

The 77-year-old, who is also a coach at National League South Dartford, will be working for Australian television while he’s in Qatar, which will be his 12th World Cup.

“I was an ITV regional commentator who got chosen, much to my surprise, because I was quite young, to go to Argentina in 1978,” said Tyler, of his first World Cup call-up. “I have done all the World Cups since then.

“It’s something I have sort of grown up with because, obviously, I was around in 1966 and I went to one of the games actually - I was playing non-league football at the time and got tickets. It wasn’t the final, sadly, I’d have loved to have been there.

“It’s the pinnacle of your working season when the World Cup’s in it. It’s the same for commentators as when players get the message to say they have been selected for a squad.

“I know one or two British commentators who haven’t been chosen that are very disappointed and, obviously, will come again.

“But it’s special to be asked to go. I know there’s issues around Qatar but I think we have to see what it’s about and hope that the football is all-embracing.

“I have been to Doha for two days in my whole life so it’ll be a new experience for me and I can’t wait.”

Tyler commentated for ITV in the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1982 World Cup final, before he moved to Sky.

With games in the UK split between BBC and ITV, it means Tyler’s dulcet tones won’t be heard in this country.

He explained: “When I left ITV, I sort of sacrificed my right to broadcast on freeview in Britain. I did do the World Cup final for ITV in