England captain Leah Williamson is one among 4 Euro 2022 winners to be known within the New Year honors listing.
The Arsenal defender lifted the Lionesses’ first main trophy after the group’s 2-1 extra-time defeat of Germany at Wembley to earn the one piece of silverware for an England senior aspect because the males’s group’s World Cup triumph in 1966. The 25-year -old turns into an OBE, whilst her teammates Beth Mead, Ellen White and Lucy Bronze were awarded MBEs. The head trainer Sarina Wiegman has additionally been awarded an honorary CBE.
Wiegman stated: “I feel very privileged and humbled to have been given such a prestigious honor and would like to dedicate it to the players, the support team and others within the FA who have worked tirelessly for our shared success.
“As I reflect upon this, I would like to thank the fans for the warmth they have shown to me since I joined in 2021, I feel very proud to represent them as England’s head coach. I would also like to share my congratulations to Leah, Beth, Ellen and Lucy. Their recognition is a reflection of a brilliant 12 months for the whole squad and the excellent work they all do on and off the pitch.”
Williamson’s Arsenal teammate Mead was named player of the tournament in the summer after scoring six goals and providing five assists to earn the golden boot. She finished as the runner-up to Spain’s Alexia Putellas in voting for the Ballon d’Or in October and became the first female footballer to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
White recently announced she is pregnant following her retirement from playing after the final. The Lionesses’ all-time record goalscorer hit the back of the net twice during the Euros to take her tally to 52. Barcelona right-back Bronze, who recently earned her 100th England cap and was named Fifa’s Best player of the year in 2020, scored in the 4–0 semi-final defeat of Sweden.
More than 1,700 people have signed a change.org petition calling for all of England’s Euro 2022 winners to be recognized with at least an MBE. However, Sir Hugh Robertson, chair of the parliamentary committee that oversees sports honours, said: “There’s a danger in … carpet-bombing the entire squad, because then you get people who’ve done five minutes on the pitch and get an award. So what we’ve tried to do is stick to the principle of the honors, which is to recognize excellence and … extraordinary contributions.”
The Lionesses are not the only female footballers to be recognised, with the Wales and Chelsea midfielder Sophie Ingle becoming an OBE. The former Northern Ireland captain Gail Redmond and the Scottish duo of Kim Little and Jen Beattie, both of Arsenal, also became MBEs.
Beattie has been honored for services to football and charity. The player, who has won 143 caps, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and has since used her platform to encourage women to get checked. She was awarded the Helen Rollason BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2021 for her efforts.
Other notable wearing names within the New Year honors listing come with the Commonwealth Games England president and previous heptathlete Denise Lewis, who turns into a dame, and the previous Arsenal, Tottenham and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings, who turns into a CBE. Scotland captain and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has been known with an MBE for products and services to soccer, charity and younger other folks.
