He came agonizingly close to bringing football home and now Gareth Southgate has been rewarded with a knighthood.
The former England manager will receive the honor following the Three Lions' glorious European Championship run to the final in Germany this summer.
Sir Gareth's path to the top of the New Year's Honors was cleared after an investigation into his tax affairs was dropped earlier this year.
He is joined by dozens of Olympic medalists from Team GB Paris 2024, including rower Helen Glover, runner Keely Hodkinson and mountain biker Tom Pidcock.
But Southgate's old teammate David Beckham has once again missed out on a knighthood, despite speculation this could finally be his year.
The former England captain famously lashed out at the Honors Committee in a series of expletive-filled emails leaked in 2013 when he was rejected.
He has since made amends and grew close to Prince William and King Charles. The Beckhams' invitation to the Emir of Qatar's state banquet last month led some to speculate that this could finally be his year.
But as the 49-year-old's wait continues, Sir Gareth, 54, has finally achieved top honors for his services to football.
He led England to the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024 and to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018.
It is understood plans to knight him following the final defeat of 2020 to Italy have been put on hold after he was placed as 'orange' on a tax risk list.
But tax bosses ruled he had not broken the rules by investing in a controversial film investment scheme, following intense talks between HMRC and Whitehall mandarins earlier this year.
Sir Gareth resigned after the heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Spain last July, after an eight-year spell that restored hope to the country.
Meanwhile, Team GB's incredible success in Paris, where they won 65 medals, has been recognized with a series of gongs for our heroes.
Keely Hodkinson, 22, will receive an MBE after claiming gold in the 800m, capping an incredible 12 months in which she was also crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Double Olympic champion Tom Pidcock, 25, will receive an OBE after winning gold in mountain biking.
Rower Helen Glover, 38, receives an OBE after winning bronze in the Women's Pairs in Paris, following gold in 2012 and 2016.
Fellow rowers Lola Anderson, 25, Emily Craig, 32, Dr. Imogen Grant, 28, picked up MBEs, while rower Georgina Brayshaw, 26, who won gold in Paris, will receive an MBE.
Swimmer Duncan Scott, 27, Team GB's most recognized athlete at Tokyo 2020, will receive an OBE, while gold medalist William Ellard, 18, will receive an MBE.
Bronze medalist trampolinist Bryony Page, 34, and sailor Ellie Aldridge, 28, are MBE.
Gold medalist sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, 29, will receive an MBE, as will track cyclists Sophie Capewell, 26, Katy Marchant, 31, and Emma Finucane, 22, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, 31.
The Paralympic team, which came second in Paris after winning a whopping 124 medals, including 49 gold medals, was also recognized.
Hannah Cockroft, 32, becomes CBE after coming first in the T34 100m and 800m in the French capital.
There are OBEs for paraswimmer Tully Kearney, 27, parasprinter Samantha Kinghorn, 28, pararowers Erin Kennedy, 32, and Lauren Rowles, 26, as well as paraswimmer Alice Tai, 25.
Former F1 driver and presenter Martin Brundle has been awarded an OBE and former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Alan Hansen has been awarded an MBE.
Meanwhile, England rugby star Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's father Andrew, a consultant ophthalmologist, is awarded a foreign MBE for services to International Eyecare in Malawi and Nigeria.
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