Prince William is honouring football legendGareth Southgate.
On Tuesday, June 25, the Prince of Wales honoured the former England boss with a knighthood at Windsor Castle, recognising his services to the sport. Southgate, 54, previously received an OBE in 2019.
“Congratulations Sir Gareth Southgate on a well-deserved knighthood,” read a statement on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account.
“From your Crystal Palace debut to being England Manager. Thank you for everything you’ve done for football,” the statement continued.
“It’s an amazing privilege,” Southgate told Sky Sports after the ceremony. “The lovely thing is you get to meet so many people who have done incredible things for our country, so to meet other award winners was very, very special.”
William, who served as FA President during Southgate’s tenure, was praised by the former coach, who said, “The Prince has been an incredible supporter of the England team… it was great to see him again.”
Southgate joins elite company as the fourth England manager to receive a knighthood, following in the footsteps of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.