On the 25th of June 2025, Gareth Southgate changed his name … to Sir Gareth Southgate. The title was bestowed upon him in the latest round of honours and that put him in an elite group of just seven football managers to have been knighted.
The former England centre back, capped 57 times for his country, has come a long, long way since infamously missing a penalty in the Euro 1996 shootout on home soil against Germany. He might well have thought that his tame effort from 12 yards would come to define his career but his brilliant accomplishments as manager of the Three Lions mean that is resolutely not the case.
Critics of Southgate, and there have been many over the years, when he was a player, a club manager, and then finally England boss, will point to the fact that he never won anything. As a manager at club level that is true, but he did lead England’s Under 21 side to relative glory at the 2016 Toulon Tournament.
In terms of the lack of a trophy with the senior England team, the argument against Southgate falls rather flat when we consider that only one manager has ever actually delivered silverware. Moreover, that man, another of the managerial knights, as we shall see, is the only one to have led England to a major final. Apart, that is, from Southgate, who helped the Three Lions to two finals, as well as a World Cup semi and a quarter-final and third place in the Nations League.
Southgate More Than Worthy of Honour
Sir Gareth Southgate 🏴
Our former manager and player has been awarded a Knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2025 for his services to association football 👏 pic.twitter.com/TsYcKYOusb
— England (@England) December 30, 2024
We will detail the other six bosses to have been knighted shortly. Whilst it is true that all the others, with the possible exception of Walter Winterbottom, won something in management, Southgate’s achievements should not be underestimated.
First, and perhaps most importantly, he united the country, both in terms of the fans and also in terms of the different club factions within the international setup. It should be remembered that when he took over, in 2016, England were at an incredible low.
Takes Over England in 2016
Sam Allardyce had just resigned after an unfortunate and probably unfair scandal caused by a media sting. He had been in charge for just a single game, having taken over from Roy Hodgson. Hodgson had overseen a dismal 2014 World Cup, where England lost two, drew one and finished bottom of a group which contained Costa Rica. He then took England to Euro 2016 where they limped through the group stage behind Wales with a win and two draws.
What followed in the last 16 was one of England’s worst performances ever as they were deservedly beaten 2-1 by Iceland. The population of Iceland at the time would not fill Wembley, Old Trafford, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Emirates and the Etihad. What’s more, England were simply abysmal, misplacing pass after pass and creating nothing.
Rebuilt Morale
From that wreckage, Southgate united the team, rebuilt morale and led England to the semi final of the 2018 World Cup. In divided times for the country, Southgate was a calm, sensible, mature leader who sought to bring people together and it paid dividends on the pitch.
He guided the Three Lions to consecutive Euros finals, the latter of those (in 2024) was the first time the country had made a major final outside England. In between, they played very well at the 2022 World Cup and were the better side in their quarter final against defending champions France, who eventually lost in the final to Argentina.
Critics will argue that he had incredible players and should have done better. They say he was too defensive and that at the biggest moments, in the biggest games, he was unable to make the right changes or offer the required tactical input.
The Stats Speak for Themselves
That is unfair and very much ignores the fact that almost every generation of the England team has had its stars. Southgate was not blessed with a brilliant defence for much of his tenure and many would argue that other “Golden Era” squads of the 21st century had better players. Ultimately, there is no end of stats to show what Southgate achieved in terms of changing England’s record on penalties and in knockout games.
Moreover, those who clamoured for change can hardly be enamoured with the start that German boss Thomas Tuchel has made. Time will tell if Tuchel can deliver the goods but many will also lament that England has been unable, or unwilling, to find an Englishman to replace Southgate.
Six Other Managerial Knights of the Realm
As said, Southgate is the seventh manager to be knighted and here are details about the other six.
Walter Winterbottom
Winterbottom managed England for 139 games, a national record. He was in charge between 1946 and 1962 and was the first Three Lions boss. Prior to his appointment, the role was carried out jointly by FA officials and club coaches. Winterbottom took England to four World Cup finals in a row but never past the quarters, though he did guide them to several wins in the British Home Championship. He never managed at club level and was knighted in 1978.
Alf Ramsey
Ramsey guided England to their one big success: the 1966 World Cup. Capped 32 times by England as a player he also led his country to third place at the 1968 Euros and won the First Division title with Ipswich in 1962, having won the second-tier championship with them 12 months earlier. He managed England 113 times, second only to Winterbottom, and was knighted in 1967.
Matt Busby
Busby played for Man City over 200 times and for Liverpool more than 100 but it is as manager of Man United that he is most famous. The Scot was in charge from 1945 to 1969 and again in 1970 and 1971, also taking charge of Scotland and Great Britain along the way. He led United to five league titles either side of the devastating Munich air disaster and helped United become the first English winners of the European Cup in 1968.
Bobby Robson
Like Ramsey, Robson also took charge of Ipswich and helped them win the FA Cup and UEFA Cup. He also won silverware with PSV, Porto and Barcelona and went close with Newcastle. He guided England to the quarters and semis of the World Cup in 1986 and 1990 respectively and was in charge for 95 games.
Kenny Dalglish
Daglish won the English title with Liverpool, three times, as well as two FA Cups and the League Cup. He also guided Blackburn to Premier League glory and won silverware with Celtic. However, he is perhaps most deserving of his knighthood for the way he led Liverpool – the club and the city – through the tragedy of Hillsborough.
Alex Ferguson
Fergie won it all with Manchester United, having first broken the Celtic and Rangers stranglehold on Scottish football with Aberdeen. He won nine major trophies with the latter, including three titles and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. With Man United, he made that look like nothing, taking charge for 1,500 games over four different decades. His teams won an astonishing 13 PL titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, plus three European trophies (including two Champions Leagues).