Gareth Bale, Rio Ferdinand, James Milner and Moeen Ali are among the sport stars to have been recognised in the Queen’s Jubilee birthday honours list.
Manchester United and England great Ferdinand has been awarded an OBE for his activism and charity work, while Wales favourite Bale is made an MBE for services to football and charity ahead of his country’s pivotal World Cup play-off final against Ukraine in Cardiff on Sunday.
Likewise Liverpool midfielder Milner, with former England and Watford striker Luther Blissett also among those honoured, along with Manchester City icon Mike Summerbee, former England Women’s captain Carol Thomas, ex-Scotland goalkeeper Alan Rough and League Managers’ Association (LMA) CEO Richard Bevan.
Away from football, England’s Moeen is made an OBE for services to cricket ahead of a potential Test return, while Eve Muirhead collects an OBE after leading Team GB’s women’s curlers to Britain’s only gold medal triumph at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in February. It was GB’s first curling gold for 20 years.
Team-mates Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith all collect MBEs, as does coach David Murdoch.
Judd Trump and Mark Selby pick up MBEs for services to snooker and charity, while Wigan Warriors legend Sean O’Loughlin is given an OBE for services to rugby league.
OBEs are also awarded to Paralympic gold medalists Lora Fachie, Neil Fachie and Corinne Hall for services to cycling, while Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris is also recognised along with the ECB’s medical director Professor Nicholas Peirce and Para Table Tennis chair Karen Tonge.
CBEs are awarded to beloved sport broadcaster Claire Balding and MP Tracey Crouch, who chaired the fan-led review into football governance following the Super League debacle last year.
Other recipients of MBEs include former world champion swimmer Hannah Miley, para-alpine skiers Neil and Andrew Simpson, plus para-athlete Samantha Kinghorn and wheelchair basketball star Ghazain Choudhury.
