Arise, Sir Gareth! Former England boss Southgate receives knighthood after main the Three Lions to Euro 2024 remaining earlier than resigning after eight years in cost
- Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been awarded a knighthood
- Southgate led England to successive Euros finals in his eight years in charge
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He came agonisingly close to bringing football home and now Gareth Southgate has been awarded with a knighthood.
The former England manager will be bestowed with the honour following the Three Lions glorious Euro’s run to the final in Germany this summer.
Sir Gareth’s path to the top gong on the New Year’s Honours was cleared after a probe into his tax affairs was dropped earlier this year.
He is joined by dozens of Team GB Olympic medallists from Paris 2024 including rower Helen Glover, runner Keely Hodkinson, and mountain biker Tom Pidcock.
But Southgate’s old teammate David Beckham has missed out on a knighthood yet again despite speculation this may finally be his year.
The former England captain famously lashed out at the Honours Committee in a series of expletive-filled emails leaked in 2013 when he was rejected.
Gareth Southgate has been awarded with a knighthood after eight years in charge of England
Southgate resigned after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain in July
But he is credited with bringing a feel-good atmosphere back to the national team
He has been on amends ever since, growing close to Prince William and King Charles. The Beckhams’ invitation to the Emir of Qatar’s state banquet last month led some to speculate this may finally be his year.
But while the 49-year-old’s wait goes on, Sir Gareth, 54, has finally netted the top honour for services to association football.
He led England to the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024 as well as the semi-final of the World Cup in 2018.
It is understood plans to knight him following the 2020 final defeat against Italy were shelved as he had been placed at ‘amber’ on a ‘tax risk list’.
But tax bosses ruled that he did not break rules by investing in a controversial film investment scheme following intensive talks between HMRC and Whitehall mandarins earlier this year.
Sir Gareth resigned after the heartbreaking 2-1 final defeat to Spain last July following an eight-year stint that restored hope to the nation.
Meanwhile Team GB’s incredible success in Paris where they won 65 medals has been recognised with a string of gongs for our heroes.
Keely Hodkinson, 22, gets an MBE after claiming gold in the 800 metres to cap off an incredible 12 months that also saw her crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Keely Hodgkinson has been given an MBE after winning the women’s 800m at the Olympics
Tom Pidcock won gold in mountain biking and is rewarded with an OBE
Two-time Olympic champion Tom Pidcock, 25, is made an OBE, having won gold in mountain biking.
Rower Helen Glover, 38, receives an OBE after winning bronze in Paris in the Women’s Pair having picked up gold in 2012 and 2016.
Fellow rowers Lola Anderson, 25, Emily Craig, 32, Dr Imogen Grant, 28, picked up MBEs while rower Georgina Brayshaw, 26, who won gold in Paris, gets an MBE.
Swimmer Duncan Scott, 27, Team GB’s most recognised athlete at Tokyo 2020, gets an OBE, while gold medallist swimmer William Ellard, 18, receives an MBE.
Bronze medallist trampolinist Bryony Page, 34, and sailor Ellie Aldridge, 28, are made MBE.
Gold medallist sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, 29, gets an MBE, as do track cyclists Sophie Capewell, 26, Katy Marchant, 31, and Emma Finucane, 22, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, 31.
The Paralympic team, which placed second at Paris after scooping an incredible 124 medals including 49 gold, was also recognised.
Hannah Cockroft becomes a CBE after winning two more golds at the Paralympics
Para swimmer Tully Kearney has been given an OBE after tasting glory in Paris
Hannah Cockroft, 32, becomes a CBE after coming first in the T34 100m and 800m in the French capital.
There are OBEs for para swimmer Tully Kearney, 27, para sprinter Samantha Kinghorn, 28, para rowers Erin Kennedy, 32, and Lauren Rowles, 26, as well as para swimmer Alice Tai, 25.
Former F1 driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle is made an OBE and former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Alan Hansen has been made an MBE.
Meanwhile England rugby star Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s father Andrew, a consultant ophthalmologist, is given an overseas MBE for services to International Eyecare in Malawi and Nigeria.
