Gareth Southgate has been honored for changing the fortunes and culture of the England football team with knighthood in the new year’s honors list.
For 55 years, he led England to consecutive European Championship runners-up finishes and oversaw the 2018 World Cup semi-finals for eight years, before stepping down. 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Lord Gareth becomes only the fourth prior of England manager to receive the soldier, after Alf Ramsey, Walter Winterbottom and Bobby Robson.
Elsewhere, the list is dominated by Britain’s successful stars from Paris 2024, having received 14 Olympic and 24 Paralympic awards.
It includes honorees in the 800m gold medalist Keely Hodgkinsonwho becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), along with runner-up Dina Asher-Smith and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompsonwho also won silver at Paris.
“I am honored to be recognized in the King’s New Years honors list for services to sport,” Johnson-Thompson said. “My small contribution is only possible because of the immense contributions made by so many others in helping me to pursue and achieve my dreams for 20 years.”
Knight Tom Pidcock and swimmer Duncan Scott have both been upgraded to become Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), along with Helen Glover, who has come on leave to row. silver medal for the women’s four.
The 38-year-old Glover, who won gold medals in London and Rio before having three children, said she was honored.
“I am content to lead this Olympic journey to win medals in front of my three children and the support of the parenting community,” he said. “It makes me very proud to be recognized for trying to make a difference in this area.”
Rowing gold medals Lola Anderson, Georgie Brayshaw, Emily Craig, Imogen Grant, Lauren Henry and Anna Scott are also inducted as MBEs, along with Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane and Katy Marchant. trampoline gold medalist Bryony Page and ” Kite-surfing champion Ellie Aldridge.
Aldridge said: “It’s been a really amazing year and this feels like the cherry on the cake. I didn’t go to university and I never thought I’d ever have letters after my name, let alone an MBE.”
The nine-time Paralympic champion Anne Cockroft, who was awarded an OBE, described it as “the end of an incredible year”. And also a CBE for services to sport for Penny Briscoe, the British Paralympic Association’s director of sport, who led the team in Paris.
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A number of sporting legends were also honored on the list, including former Wales and British & Irish Lions winger Gerald Davies, who served for sporting and charity work.
Davies, who won three majors in Wales in an international career that spanned 12 years, said: “I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by him. Words are simply insufficient to describe. It is made of blue. “
There are also OBEs for former Formula One driver Martin Brundle, for services to the curriculum and the sports movement, and former West Ham manager David Moyes.
Alan Hansen, former Liverpool defender and long-time BBC pundit, has been made an MBE for services to football and broadcasting.
Aurora Astle, who set up the Jeff Astle Foundation to campaign for research into head injuries in football for her father, who died of dementia in 2002, has been made an MBE.