Former England manager Gareth Southgate will receive a knighthood in the 2025 New Year Honours, according to reports.
Southgate, 54, led his country to two successive European Championship finals, a World Cup semi-final and a World Cup quarter-final in his eight years at the helm of the Three Lions.
The Sun has revealed the ex-national team boss will receive the gong for services to sport – following in the footsteps of England greats Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.
Letters for 2025’s honours are understood to have already been sent out by the Honours Committee – with other recipients said to include Labour Party big names Sadiq Khan and Emily Thornberry.
He had already been handed an OBE back in 2019 – but Southgate and now-King Charles will meet again for his latest honour
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One source told the newspaper: “Gareth is a football legend who achieved great things this year.”
He had already been handed an OBE back in 2019 – but after stepping back from the national team this summer after England’s heartbreaking 2-1 Euro final loss to Spain, Southgate is set to enter the history books.
Southgate had taken charge of the men’s senior team in late 2016 after Sam Allardyce resigned amid an “entrapment” scandal.
He proceeded to coach England to the semi-finals of the 2018 Russia World Cup, putting the team’s humiliating exit at the hands of Iceland from the previous European Championship firmly behind them.
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Gareth Southgate’s men lost out to Spain in what would end up being his final game in charge
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He then came even closer to silverware – finishing third in the inaugural 2010 Uefa Nations League, and coming out runners-up in the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 to Italy.
After a calamitous second Nations League entry saw the Three Lions relegated to Group B, pressure looked to be mounting on Southgate heading into the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Despite a strong start – England won three of their four opening games in Qatar, including a last-16 victory over Senegal – they eventually tumbled out in the last eight to eventual finalists France.
Southgate stepped back from the national team this summer after England’s heartbreaking 2-1 Euro final loss to Spain
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Then, after a few nail-bitingly narrow clashes at Euro 2024 in Germany, Southgate was within touching distance of a trophy – but lost out to Spain in what would end up being his final game in charge.
Though Southgate’s time in charge will no doubt be seen in hindsight as the Three Lions’ most successful period this century, his consecutive continental final losses – and his defensive set-up – may leave a bitter taste in the mouth for some.
But with his knighthood set to be confirmed in just days, the 54-year-old’s off-pitch legacy looks to have been sealed.
