Was that really John Motson’s final live appearance — his last run-out for his country? Say it in your best Motty voice: “Very much so, I fancy.” We’ll still hear him on Match of the Day, so it’s too soon for obituaries. But it will be two years before the BBC again broadcasts a leading tournament and Motson, 63, says that he will have retired to his home in Hertfordshire by then, to spend time with his scrapbooks, his collection of Rothmans Football Yearbooks and his memories.

Then again, Frank Sinatra was forever bowing out, only to re-emerge slightly later. Is it possible that Motty shares more of Sinatra’s appetite for the quickening response of a live audience than is generally acknowledged?

Motty’s final duties included describing the closing ceremony, in which the entire tournament was re-enacted by puppets made out of balloons. Make of that coincidence what you will.

Last night he sat, unblinking, on the media rostrum, his spiritual home, while Gary Lineker honoured him with a roll call of his achievements — 93 World Cups, 78 European Championships, one million and four games in total (or thereabouts). Lineker concluded by pointing out that, during Motson’s career, Germany had appeared in 11 leading finals by comparison with England’s none — almost as if he was blaming him.

It’s the destiny of the great commentators to be remembered for their mistakes, which seems additionally harsh in Motson’s case, given the amount of time he devoted to getting things right. With Motty, there were no lies, just statistics. He spoke to the inner nerd, the programme collector that lives within all of us.

A few argue that in recent seasons the burden of being a national treasure has had a bad impact on Motson’s performances — that, inevitably, a self-consciousness has crept in, leading to moments when Motty was discernibly and deliberately being Motty.

It’s a point of view. Even so, surely the only people with unbridled cause to welcome a world with less Motson in it are sheep. Do you know how many creatures of the field have given their lives to keep Motson in trademark coats during his 37-year career? Neither do I. But I bet Motson does.

And do you realise how hard it is to find a full-length sheepskin? Motty used to source his to a lock-up in Essex. So back-street tanners will definitely miss him. Will the rest of us? Very much so, I fancy.