Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
Southgate, who spent eight years in charge of the Three Lions, is the only manager bar 1966 World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey to lead the England men's team into a major tournament final.
England lost consecutive European Championship finals under Southgate after a penalty shootout defeat to Italy in 2021 followed by last summer's Euro 2024 loss to Spain in Berlin, which saw Southgate resign two days later.
"I'm deeply grateful for all the kind messages and comments I've received since the announcement of my Knighthood," Southgate said on his LinkedIN page.
"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.
"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."
The 54-year-old managed England at four major tournaments, guiding his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and quarter-finals in 2022.
During his tenure, Southgate oversaw nine knockout wins at major tournaments, compared to just six such victories in major tournaments between 1966 and Southgate taking over in 2016.
The former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender won 61 of his 102 games in charge of England, drawing 24 and losing 17.
Southgate was given an OBE in December 2018 and six years on he has been recognised with a knighthood for services to football.
FA chair Debbie Hewitt, MBE, paid a glowing tribute to Southgate, calling him one of England's "greatest ever managers".
She said: "On behalf of us all at the Football Association, I congratulate Sir Gareth on this richly deserved honour. Throughout his career in the game as a player, coach and change-maker, he has embodied the best of English football.
"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."
SportNews' Jamie Carragher also praised the former defender, telling SportNews News: "I'm delighted for him. What he did with the England national team, to get as far as he did… and what he went through as well, it wasn't easy. It was a rollercoaster ride but to get England that far in two tournaments was a great achievement.
"When you look at the squad, there's no doubt there's great players in there, but we've had great players before. But what Gareth Southgate did was created a great team. It was one of the best England teams we've had - the only one better goes back to 1966.
"It's a compliment to the players as well. They helped Southgate along, but the manager is the one who has to sit in the press conferences before the game and after, and at times when it's not gone well.
"But how he's dealt with everything that goes along with being England manager means he's a real class act and he deserves this honour."
Following his England exit in July, Prince William personally thanked Southgate for being an "all-round class act" and showing "humility, compassion and true leadership", and praised him for coping with the "most intense pressure and scrutiny".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute, saying Southgate had "shouldered the dreams of the country with dignity and honour" and that he "will be remembered for bringing back the hope and belief the country had been crying out for so long", while also praising the way the manager had spoken out on social issues.
In September, he believed the England team would "go on and be successful" after his exit.
Southgate said: "It was the right time for change. You see now the hope that change can bring. I'm content with that. Eight years is a long time and I'm looking forward to different challenges ahead - and enjoying the rest.
"I had an incredible eight-year journey. It was a privilege to work with brilliant players. We wanted to do that final piece, we achieved so much and it would have been perfection to win the final. I'm sure the team will go on and be successful."
In October, after stepping down as England boss.
Elsewhere in the 2025 New Year Honours list, SportNews F1's Martin Brundle has been awarded an OBE for his services to motor racing and sports broadcasting.
Brundle, who has been part of SportNews since 2012 as a pundit and commentator, is a much-loved voice when it comes to F1 after nearly three decades in broadcasting.
The 65-year-old scored nine podiums as a driver and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Gerald Davies, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing who subsequently served as president of the Welsh Rugby Union, has also been knighted for services to his sport and for voluntary and charitable service in Wales.
Davies played for Wales between 1966 and 1978 and won three Grand Slams. He toured with the Lions in 1968 and 1971, making five appearances.
Former Manchester United, West Ham and Everton manager David Moyes has been awarded an OBE, while fellow Scot Alan Hansen also received an OBE for services to football and broadcasting.
Dawn Astle, the daughter of former England and West Brom striker Jeff Astle, and Penny Watson, the wife of former England captain Dave Watson, have been made MBEs for their work to support footballers with dementia.
Jeff Astle died in 2002 at the age of 59, with a coroner recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease owing to his repeated heading of a ball. A subsequent postmortem confirmed Astle had suffered from the progressive disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition more commonly linked to boxers. Dave Watson is living with dementia and is suspected by his consultants as having CTE.
Nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockcroft has been made a CBE, and Olympic 800m gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson, who becomes an MBE, is among the stars of Great Britain's Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games teams who have been honoured.
Hodgkinson, 22, who was also recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year is one of 14 2024 Olympics champions to be honoured.
"It's so amazing to be recognised and to have been given this award," she said.
"This year has been incredibly special for so many reasons and it's such a nice surprise to have been honoured in this way. Bring on 2025."
Cockroft won two more gold medals in Paris when she successfully defended her women's T34 100m and 800m Paralympic titles.
Alongside Cockroft, 23 other Paralympic gold medallists from Paris are honoured, including OBEs for swimmers Tully Kearney and Alice Tai, cyclist Jaco van Gass, and rowers Lauren Rowles and Erin Kennedy, the latter of whom is also acknowledged for her work with breast cancer awareness.
Penny Briscoe, who was the ParalympicsGB chef de mission for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, has been awarded a CBE.
Cyclist Tom Pidcock and swimmer Duncan Scott are both upgraded to become OBEs, along with Helen Glover, who came out of retirement to land a rowing silver medal in the women's four.
Glover, a double gold medallist in London and Rio, was coaxed back for the Paris cycle after giving birth to twins in January 2020.
Athletics stars Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who won her first Olympic medal with heptathlon silver in Paris, and three-time medallist Dina Asher-Smith are also made MBEs.
