England boss Sarina Wiegman was left speechless when Prince William paid a surprise visit to St George's Park to award her with an honorary CBE.
Wiegman, who took charge of the Lionesses in September 2021, was appointed as an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for services to association football" last December. The Dutchwoman's England tenure has been incredibly successful so far, with the Lionesses having amassed four pieces of silverware - including the EURO 2022 trophy - under her stewardship.
While non-British nationals are usually presented with a CBE by the Foreign Office, the Duke of Cambridge did the honours personally while visiting the national football centre on Tuesday afternoon.
"I was very overwhelmed," Wiegman told Sky Sports after the impromptu presentation. "I really did not expect it so I was surprised. I was a little bit speechless.
"I’m so grateful and honoured to receive this but it’s about the team and about our performances. Without a team of players and staff, you can’t perform to the highest level but when you get this big honour it’s very, very special.
"I’m so grateful and honoured and privileged to work here with this team and I hope we can keep doing that."
Reflecting on Prince William's visit, Wiegman added: "He’s one of our biggest fans I think. He knows a lot about our team and the game and you know he always follows us. It becomes informal too. We were having a chat and lunch and he was playing some table football so it was really enjoyable."
England are currently based at St George's Park while they undergo preparations for the upcoming Women's World Cup. The Lionesses will travel to Australia and New Zealand next month and willl kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti on July 22.
"We really have to try and keep performing at the highest level and do our best to get as far as possible," Wiegman said, looking ahead to the tournament. "We have to keep performing and show who we are.
"It’s really nice to have the team in. They’re so energetic and everyone’s really ready to go."
