Gareth Southgate says he is "incredibly thankful" for being awarded a knighthood in the King's New Year Honours list but joked he would not be called 'Sir' by his family.

The 54-year-old is the fourth England manager to be knighted, following Walter Winterbottom, World Cup winner Alf Ramsey, and Bobby Robson, who took the team to the 1990 World Cup semi-final.

Southgate led the Three Lions to their first major tournament final since their World Cup win in 1966 at Euro 2020, losing on penalties to Italy, before taking them to their first showpiece match on foreign soil in Germany, though they were beaten 2-1 by Spain.

He was in charge of England for eight years, having taken the role following Sam Allardyce's abrupt exit in 2016, and registered the most major tournament wins of any manager in the national team's history (14).

He also led England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals four years later in Qatar but was unable to end the wait for a major trophy.

Southgate, who has hinted he may step away from football management in the future, was delighted with the honour.

"I'm deeply grateful for all the kind messages and comments I've received since the announcement of my knighthood," he wrote on LinkedIn on Tuesday.

"It has been the greatest honour to represent my country as both a player and a manager for some 20 years and to be part of the game I love for almost 40. I am incredibly thankful for the amazing people and teams who have supported me both on and off the field.

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

"A special thank you to my family for their constant love and encouragement, though I must admit they've made it clear that the titles I hold at home will remain unchanged."

Southgate's final tournament in charge saw his side reach their first-ever final on foreign soil, though their defeat to Spain also saw England become the first team in history to lose consecutive Euros finals, with the former defender the only manager to ever lose two such matches.

Despite falling short at the final Euros in consecutive tournaments, the FA hailed Southgate as one of England's "greatest ever managers".

"Throughout his career in the game as a player, coach and change-maker, he has embodied the best of English football," FA chair Debbie Hewitt said.

"One of our greatest ever managers, Sir Gareth's remarkable coaching achievements across four major tournaments include two successive Euro finals, equalling our best-ever men's World Cup performance away from home and being ranked in the world's top five for more than five years."