Former England footballer Teddy Sheringham has been revealed as a hidden performer in The Masked Singer.

Sheringham, 53, was singing dressed up as a tree, complete with toadstools, in the new show.

He exited the series after losing in a sing-off with Octopus, whose real identity remains a mystery.

After his unmasking, Sheringham said he had “sleepless nights trying to remember” the lyrics to songs before performing on stage.

“Me and my wife, we were trying to remember it together,” he said.

“I thought my best shot was a little bit better than what I performed.”

Revealing why he signed up for the ITV show, he said: “I’ve been asked to do everything over the years, but always declined.

“I saw the show… in the States and thought I’d love to do that for my kids.”

None of the celebrity judges had guessed his identity and instead opted for other footballing names such as Peter Crouch, David Seaman, Jamie Redknapp and Peter Shilton.

Rita Ora said that for a footballer, Sheringham had a “great voice”.

The footballer turned manager said the panel – Ora as well as Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Ken Jeong – were “really complementary considering I can’t sing!”

He added: “I didn’t expect to win, I just wanted to enjoy the experience.”

The show sees celebrities and public figures compete dressed in elaborate outfits which conceal their identity.

Last week, Justin Hawkins from The Darkness was unmasked as the Chameleon.

He failed to impress the panel of judges and progress through to the next round.

Sheringham is the fourth name to be revealed and exit the show, after former home secretary Alan Johnson and Patsy Palmer were also unmasked.

The Masked Singer continues next Saturday at 7pm on ITV.