Arise, Sir Gareth! Former England boss Southgate receives knighthood after leading the Three Lions to Euro 2024 final before resigning after eight years in charge
- 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 is to be bestowed with the honour following the Three Lions’ glorious Euros run to the final in Germany this summer.
Sir Gareth’s path to the top gong on the New Year Honours List was cleared after a probe into his tax affairs was dropped earlier this year.
He is joined on the list of honours by dozens of Team GB Olympic medallists from Paris 2024 – including rower Helen Glover, runner Keely Hodgkinson, and mountain biker Tom Pidcock.
But Southgate’s old teammate David Beckham has missed out on a knighthood yet again despite speculation this may have finally been his year.
The former England captain, 49, 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 his best behaviour 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 a gong was on the way at last.
Sir Gareth, 54, 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 defeat by Italy in the final were shelved as he had been placed 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 in July following an eight-year stint that restored hope to the national team.
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 Hodgkinson, 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, and Georgina Brayshaw, 26, received MBEs.
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 MBEs.
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 124 medals including 49 golds, 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.
Former West Ham manager David Moyes is made a OBE.
