Gareth Southgate Knighted in New Year Honours for Services to Football
Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the New Year Honours, recognizing his contributions during a transformative tenure as England’s coach from 2016 to 2024.
Southgate, 54, guided the national team to two consecutive European Championship finals, narrowly losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and to Spain in 2024. He also led England to the 2018 World Cup semifinals, where they were defeated by Croatia, and to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, where they lost to France.
Stepping down after England’s Euro 2024 final loss, Southgate joins the elite ranks of previous England managers to be knighted, including 1966 World Cup-winning coach Alf Ramsey, Walter Winterbottom, and Bobby Robson.
Southgate’s successor, former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, takes over on January 1, aiming to lead England in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Southgate hinted at a possible retirement from management.
**Other Sports Figures Honoured**
The honours list also celebrated achievements in other sports. Former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing Gerald Davies was knighted for his exceptional rugby career and charitable services. Davies, who played a key role in Wales’ golden era and the British Lions’ historic 1971 victory over New Zealand, expressed his surprise and gratitude: “It comes out of the blue. Words are really quite inadequate to describe it.”
Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson, who secured the 800m title in Paris, becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She follows the legacy of Ann Packer and Kelly Holmes as only the third British woman to win the Olympic 800m.
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and sprinter Dina Asher-Smith were also made MBEs for their contributions to athletics, while nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) after winning two more gold medals in Paris.
Finally, former Liverpool defender and broadcaster Alan Hansen was awarded an MBE for his services to football and media.
These honours highlight the remarkable contributions of sports figures across various disciplines.
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