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‘Absolute nonsense’: England accused of ‘rewarding failure’ as former coach given knighthood

Former England football manager Gareth Southgate has been given a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

Southgate led England to two consecutive European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi finals, making him the most successful incumbent since Alf Ramsey. But the reaction to his knighthood has been brutal, given he failed to win a significant trophy with the team.

The 54-year-old Southgate, who left the role shortly after England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July, became the fourth former England manager to receive a knighthood, after Ramsey, Walter Winterbottom, and Bobby Robson.

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Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt MBE said Southgate "embodied the best of English football" throughout his tenure as coach and as a player.

"On behalf of us all at the Football Association, I congratulate Sir Gareth on this richly-deserved honour," FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE said.

England manager Gareth Southgate celebrates at full time. Getty

"One of our greatest ever managers, Sir Gareth's remarkable coaching achievements across four major tournaments include two successive EURO finals, equalling our best-ever men's World Cup performance away from home and being ranked in the world's top five for more than five years.

"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.

"All of us who have experienced his thoughtfulness, dedication and leadership are delighted with this wonderful news."

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The announcement of Southgate's knighthood has received mixed reaction from fans on social media, but former England star Jamie Carragher believes it is well deserved.

"I'm delighted for him," Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports.

"What he did with the national team, to get so far – you think how long you have to go back to get to Sir Alf Ramsey.

"To get the knighthood, [Ramsey] won the World Cup… but for Gareth to go through what he went through, it wouldn't of been easy, a bit of a rollercoaster ride for him.

"To get England that far is a great achievement… they had great players which we've seen before, but Gareth created a great team.

"I think with how he dealt with everything as an England manager shows he is a real class act and deserves this honour."

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing Gerald Davies was also knighted. He served as president of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockcroft, who has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and Olympic 800-meter gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson, who becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), are among stars of Britain’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic teams to have been honored.

Athletics stars Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who won her first Olympic medal with heptathlon silver in Paris, and three-time medalist Dina Asher-Smith, were made MBEs.

Alan Hansen, the former Liverpool great, got an MBE and David Moyes, most recently the manager of West Ham, received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Dawn Astle, who set up the Jeff Astle Foundation to campaign for more research into head injuries in soccer on behalf of her father, who died of dementia in 2002, was made an MBE.

The awards given out by monarchs as part of orders of chivalry since the Middle Ages are now vetted by a government committee before being passed on to the prime minister and King Charles III.

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