Gareth Southgate to receive knighthood at Windsor Castle

Independent

5 hours ago

Former England manager Gareth Southgate will be among those accepting honours on Wednesday as he receives a knighthood at Windsor Castle.
The 54-year-old, who led the Three Lions to consecutive European Championship finals in 2020 and 2024 and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, was recognised for his services to association football in the New Year Honours.
He is the fourth England boss to be knighted, after Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.
Sir Gareth resigned from the role after eight years in charge following England's 2-1 final defeat to Spain in July last year, before being succeeded by Thomas Tuchel.
In a social media post following the announcement in December, he joked that he was unlikely to be called 'Sir' by his family.
'It has been the greatest honour to represent my country as both a player and a manager for some 20 years and to be part of the game I love for almost 40. I am incredibly thankful for the amazing people and teams who have supported me both on and off the field,' he said.
'A special thank you to my family for their constant love and encouragement, though I must admit they've made it clear that the titles I hold at home will remain unchanged.'
Sir Gareth won 57 caps for England as a player between 1995 and 2004 and played at three major tournaments, including the 1998 World Cup.
He also had a distinguished 16-year career at club level, operating mainly as a defender for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough and making more than 600 appearances.
Sir Gareth first joined the Football Association as head of elite development in February 2011 after being sacked as Middlesbrough manager, and went on to coach the under-21s side before his appointment as England manager, initially on a temporary basis, in September 2016.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, when Sir Gareth turned the waistcoat into a must-have fashion accessory.
The team then ended its 55-year wait for a men's final at Euro 2020, delayed 12 months by Covid, before being agonisingly beaten on penalties by Italy at Wembley.
A late defeat to Spain three years later again saw the side just miss out on national silverware.
Overall, Sir Gareth took charge of 102 matches and is the only manager of the England men's team to lead them to two major tournament finals.
Giving an address at the University of London in March, he spoke about how the belief and resilience gained throughout his career in football had 'picked me up when I've been down, grounded me in success, and given me purpose amidst the noise of public life'.
Sir Gareth was previously made an OBE for his services to football in the 2019 New Year Honours.
British and Irish Lions wing Gerald Davies is also set to be knighted at the investiture ceremony for his services to rugby union and to voluntary and charitable service in Wales.
Davies, 80, played for Wales for 12 years in the 1960s and 1970s and won three Grand Slams, and went on to serve as president of the Welsh Rugby Union between 2019 and 2023.
Reacting to the honour, he told the PA news agency: 'I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by it. Words are really quite inadequate to describe it.
'It comes out of the blue. I was dumbstruck in many ways, but you don't achieve these things on your own.'