Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the New Year Honours (Image: Getty)
Ex- boss has been knighted in the New Year Honours. It comes after his successful tenure which saw him lead the Three Lions to two consecutive European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, which make him the most successful incumbent since Sir Alf Ramsey.
The 54-year-old, who stepped down after England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July, becomes the fourth former England manager to receive a knighthood, joining Ramsey, Sir Walter Winterbottom, and Sir Bobby Robson.
Gerald Davies, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing who later served as president of the Welsh Rugby Union, has also received a knighthood for services to his sport and for voluntary and charitable service in Wales.
Davies, who played for Wales between 1966 and 1978 and won three Grand Slams, expressed his surprise and emotion at the honour, telling PA news agency: “I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by it.
“Words are really quite inadequate to describe it,” and “It comes out of the blue. I was dumbstruck in many ways, but you don’t achieve these things on your own.”
Meanwhile, nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockcroft has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). And Olympic 800 metre gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson has been named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Paralympic champion Cockroft has capped off her triumphant year with a spot on the New Year Honours list, said: “Being put forward for the New Year Honours list is just the perfect ending to an incredible year.
“It’s been a big year with two golds and a silver medal at the World Championships in Japan in May, two gold medals at the Paralympics in Paris this summer, and a wedding – so it was a surprise to get my letter, but such a proud moment.”
Newly-named Sports Personality of the Year Hodgkinson also joins the honours, leading a stellar cohort of 14 Olympic champions from the Paris games on the prestigious list. Cyclist Tom Pidcock and swimmer Duncan Scott both receive a bump to Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as does rower Helen Glover, who clinched a silver after returning from retirement.
Glover, who returned to the Olympics after giving birth to twins in January 2020, told PA: “It’s such an honour to be awarded an OBE.
Gareth Southgate has become the fourth former England boss to receive a knighthood (Image: Getty)
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“I was determined that this Olympic journey would lead to winning a medal in front of three children and I felt supported by the parenting community. It makes me very proud to be recognised for trying to make a difference within this space.”
Rowing champions Lola Anderson, Georgie Brayshaw, Emily Craig, Imogen Grant, Lauren Henry, and Hannah Scott, along with cyclists Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane, and Katy Marchant, have been honoured with MBEs. Trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page and kite-surfing champion Ellie Aldridge have also been recognised.
Page, who secured her place in history with a gold medal in Paris following silver and bronze at the previous two Games, shared with PA: “This MBE is a wonderful accolade after such a fantastic year for me, one I am incredibly proud of, but more important I feel it is in recognition of years of dedication and efforts of my support team around me.”
Aldridge, who made a splash in kite-surfing’s Olympic debut with a stunning gold off the coast of Marseille, expressed her delight: “I feel very honoured to be on the New Year Honours list. It really has been an 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 any letters after my name, let alone MBE.”
Athletics stars Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who clinched her first Olympic medal with heptathlon silver in Paris, and Dina Asher-Smith, a three-time medallist, have also been awarded MBEs.
Johnson-Thompson stated: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised in the King’s New Years Honours list for services to athletics. My small contribution has only been possible due to the huge contributions made by so many others in helping me to chase and achieve my dreams over the last 20 years.”
Gerald Davies has also received a knighthood (Image: Getty)
Penny Briscoe, the director of sport at the British Paralympic Association and who also held the role as Chef de Mission for the fifth time in Paris, has been honoured with a CBE for her contributions to Paralympic sport. Speaking to PA, Briscoe expressed her emotions: “As a passionate sports fan I feel both incredibly proud and humble to receive a CBE.
“I am forever grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the unforgettable experiences I have had with the support of dedicated and talented athletes and staff.”
The accolades didn’t stop there; 23 other Paralympic champions from Paris also received recognition, including OBEs for swimming sensations Tully Kearney and Alice Tai, cycling star Jaco Van Gass, and rowing duo Lauren Rowles and Erin Kennedy, with the latter also acknowleged for her efforts with breast cancer awareness.
The world of motorsport and football saw their heroes honoured too, with former F1 driver Martin Brundle and West Ham’s ex- manager David Moyes becoming OBEs for their services to their respective fields.
Football legend Alan Hansen, known for his time with and as a pundit, was awarded an MBE for his services to football and broadcasting. Furthermore, Dawn Astle, who founded the Jeff Astle Foundation to campaigh for more research into football-related head injuries on behalf of her father – who died of dementian in 2002 – has been made an MBE.