ITV pundit reveals ex-footballer partner 'saved her mum's life' while she was at World Cup

ITV pundit reveals ex-footballer partner 'saved her mum's life' while she was at World Cup ITV co-commentator and pundit Lucy Ward posted a tribute to her partner on social media following their heroic act while she was Stateside working on the World Cup ITV pundit Lucy Ward paid tribute to her partner Neil Redfearn after revealing he recently saved her mother's life. The former Leeds and Doncaster forward, a prominent figure in women's football in the 2000s, is currently at the World Cup 2026 as a co-commentator and analyst. The 52-year-old has been busy with her match duties for the broadcaster, attending matches across Mexico, Canada and the USA. While she has been spending her time across the Atlantic, ex-footballer and now manager Redfearn has been at home in the UK keeping an eye on her mother. As it turns out, that responsibility means turning into a hero when things go south. According to a social media post from Ward, Redfearn was there to save her mum's life last Friday when her health took a turn for the worse. The intervention itself has not been revealed, but Redfearn - a former Premier League footballer who spent the majority of his career Barnsley - was there when it mattered. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Ward gushed over Redfearn with the caption: "This one saved my Mum’s life on Friday whilst I was away at the World Cup. What a man, forever grateful for you." Ward crafted the post on Tuesday night in the build-up to the Mexico vs Ecuador round of 32 tie, a game she worked on for ITV. Ward is still travelling around for the World Cup and was present with lead commentator Joe Speight for Mexico against Ecuador at Azteca Stadium. The only detail she provided is that her mother was taken to hospital. In a follow-up post that read: "Mum is fine and back home from the hospital. All good," before adding: "Sometimes life comes at you fast. What a man." Ward, a former Leeds and Doncaster forward, is one of several female pundits to work regularly in the men's game. Her analysis behind the microphone has been praised across the board and she was named one of the top broadcasters by The Guardian in 2024/25 for her work. While she currently works with ITV and TNT Sports, her work taken her across Sky, BBC, Amazon Prime, the Premier League, Champions League and other competitions. She remains a prominent voice in women's football too. Redfearn played over 800 games in his professional career that spanned from 1982 to 2006. He represented Bolton, Lincoln, Doncaster, Crystal Palace, Watford, Oldham, Barnsley, Charlton, Bradford, Wigan, Halifax, Boston and Rochdale as well as other lower division sides. He finally brought the curtain down on his illustrious English football career at non-league outfit Scarborough. Having turned to management, he's acted as caretaker and head coach at Leeds United for a combined four times between 2012 and 2015 before a brief stint at Rotherham United. Redfearn also decided to try his hand in women's football, coaching the Doncaster Belles, Liverpool Women and Sheffield United Women between 2020 and 2022. His most recent job was back in men's football with Farsley Celtic, who were liquidated in 2025 and now operate as phoenix club FC Farsley. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page Ward and Redfearn met while they worked together at Leeds, with Ward taking on the role of head of education and welfare at the Premier League club after her retirement from football. She worked with players such as James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Fabian Delph and Kalvin Phillips in their academy days. In 2023, she claimed that she was forced out of that role because Redfearn was sacked as boss and they were together. Ward won a sex discrimination case against former owner Massimo Cellino, and was awarded £290,000 in compensation. Redfearn, who doesn't appear to have a public Instagram account, is yet to respond after his loved one's praise. But after all that the 61-year-old and his partner have been through, their relationship appears to be stronger than ever following his heroic act. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.