Gareth Southgate receives a knighthood as sports stars are celebrated in the King’s New Year’s Honours for 2025
London: Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the King’s New Year’s Honours, and he’s not alone. A bunch of Olympians and sports stars are also being recognized.
After England’s tough loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, Southgate stepped down as manager. He had a pretty impressive run, leading the team to the finals in 2020 and the semi-finals in 2018. This knighthood makes him the fourth former England manager to get this honor.
Gerald Davies, a rugby legend from Wales, also received a knighthood for his contributions to the sport and his charitable work. He was pretty emotional about it, saying he was “dumbstruck.”
Alan ‘Thumper’ Phillips, who managed the Wales team for years, got an MBE, along with Olympic star Keely Hodgkinson and cyclist Emma Finucane, who shone in Paris this summer.
Many Olympic and Paralympic athletes made the list too. Hannah Cockcroft, a nine-time Paralympic champ, received a CBE, while rowing star Helen Glover got an OBE. Other athletes like Tom Pidcock and Duncan Scott also earned OBEs, and stars like Katarina Johnson-Thompson received MBEs.
In total, 14 Olympic champions from the Paris Games were honored. Cyclists and rowers were among those recognized, including Bryony Page, who won gold in trampoline, and kite-surfing champ Ellie Aldridge.
Paralympic athletes also got their due, with OBEs for swimmers and cyclists, and Welsh shot putter Sabrina Fortune earned an MBE after breaking her own world record.
Notable mentions include former F1 racer Martin Brundle and ex-West Ham manager David Moyes, both receiving OBEs. Alan Hansen, a Liverpool legend, also got an MBE for his contributions to football and broadcasting.
Dawn Astle, who advocates for research into head injuries in football, was also honored with an MBE for her efforts.
