Gareth Southgate receives knighthood in King's 2025 New Year Honours list, joined by David Moyes and Olympic heroes
Updated 31/12/2024 at 08:20 GMT
Gareth Southgate has received a knighthood following a memorable eight-year term as England manager, where he led The Three Lions to four major tournaments and two UEFA European Championship finals. The 54-year-old is one of only two managers to guide England to a major final. He is joined on the list by by David Moyes, Alan Hansen and a host of Olympic and Paralympic heroes.
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Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the King's New Year 2025 Honours list for his services to association football.
The former England manager led The Three Lions to successive European Championship finals during an eight-year spell at the helm from 2016 to 2024.
Southgate also guided England to a fourth-place finish at the World Cup in 2018, the nation's best finish in the tournament since 1990.
Alongside Sir Alf Ramsey, who led England to World Cup glory in 1966, Southgate is the only other manager to take England to a major tournament final.
England lost both the Euro 2020 final and Euro 2024 final to Italy and Spain respectively, with the latter result marking the end of Southgate's memorable reign as England manager.
Southgate, 54, oversaw England at four major tournaments in total, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where they crashed out at the quarter-final stage.
The ex-Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender was awarded an OBE in December 2018 after England's run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
After he was knighted on Monday, FA chair Debbie Hewitt MBE credited one of the "greatest ever managers" Southgate for his work on and off the pitch as England boss.
"On behalf of us all at the Football Association, I congratulate Sir Gareth on this richly deserved honour," she said.
"Throughout his career in the game as a player, coach and change-maker, he has embodied the best of English football.
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"Off the field, he brought our fans closer than ever to the team, stood up for what he believed in and inspired players to share his pride in representing England. It has been a privilege to know the man and the manager.
"All of us who have experienced his thoughtfulness, dedication and leadership are delighted with this wonderful news."
Moyes, Hansen and stars of Olympics and Paralympics join Southgate on New Year Honours List
Southgate is joined on the New Year Honours list by former Manchester United, Everton and West Ham manager David Moyes, who has been made an OBE for services to football.
The Scot has taken charge of 697 Premier League games, the third most ever behind legendary duo Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
He also helped West Ham win the 2023 Europa Conference League, their first trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1980.
Moyes was proud to be recognised after an incredible career in the top flight of English football.
"It is an incredible honour, it really is," he told the BBC.
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"When I got the award the first thing I thought about was the journey I have been on and the people that have helped me, whether that be people recently or people right at the start."
Former Liverpool defender and Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen, who recovered from a serious illness earlier this year, has been recognised with an MBE.
Keely Hodgkinson leads a star-studded line-up of British Olympians and Paralympians.
She has been awarded an MBE, and is joined on the New Year Honours list by fellow Olympians including Helen Glover, Tom Pidcock, Duncan Scott, Eleanor Aldridge and Lola Anderson.
Olympic stars Dina Asher-Smith, Georgina Brayshaw, Sophie Capewell, Emily Craig and cyclist Emma Finucane are also included
Lauren Henry has been recognised for services to rowing, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Katy Marchant, Bryony Page and Hannah Scott will also receive honours.
"This year has been incredibly special for so many reasons and it's such a nice surprise to have been honoured in this way," Hodgkinson told the BBC.
Hannah Cockroft has been awarded a CBE after winning her ninth Paralympic gold medal in Paris, and she is joined by a host of her ParalympicsGB teammates.
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The list includes Tully Kearney, Erin Kennedy, Sammi Kinghorn and Lauren Rowles, as well as swimmer Alice Tai and cyclist Jaco van Gass.
Stephen Clegg, Dimitri Coutya, William Ellard and Dave Ellis have also been recognised, as have Sabrina Fortune, Fin Graham, Jodie Grinham and Jenny Holl.
The list also features cyclists Lizzi Jordan and Sophie Unwin, as well as Nathan MacQueen, Poppy Maskill, Gregg Stevenson, Amy Truesdale.
"Being put forward for the New Year Honours list is just the perfect ending to an incredible year," Cockroft told the PA news agency.
"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."
Gerald Davies represented Wales and British & Irish Lions during an incredible rugby career before becoming president of the Welsh Rugby Union.
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He has been recognised for services to the sport and to charities in Wales with a knighthood.
"I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by it. Words are really quite inadequate to describe it," he told the PA news agency.
"It comes out of the blue.
"I was dumbstruck in many ways, but you don't achieve these things on your own."
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