In the event that England wins the European Championships, Gareth Southgate will reportedly be knighted according to exclusive news by Telegraph. When England will capture their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling are also due for an upgrade to their existing honours.
As reported by the Telegraph that even though the Euros are not the highest honour in international sport, winning it would put England on par with England’s achievements at the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup.
Former head coach Clive Woodward was knighted for the 2003 win, and the entire squad received CBEs, OBEs, and MBEs.
In response to concerns that too many sports honours were awarded following England’s 2005 Ashes victory and numerous Olympic victories, only four key players of the squad were decorated during the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
A knighthood is expected to be awarded to Southgate for his complete transformation of the football team since losing to Iceland in Euro 2016 – including reaching the World Cup and Nations League semi-finals – and uniting the nation during a hard time.
Kane, the captain, is comparable to Martin Johnson and Eoin Morgan, who received CBEs after lifting the rugby and cricket World Cups, respectively. England’s most influential player throughout the Euros has been Sterling. Several other gongs will be given to squad members based on their performances.
