Premier League icons Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Bale, and James Milner honoured by Queen Elizabeth in Platinum Jubliee list
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The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List has been published and three footballing legends – Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Bale and James Milner have been included
Football icons Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Bale and James Milner have been honoured by the Queen in her Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List.
Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate 70 years of service this weekend, becoming the first British monarch to reach the milestone. More than 1,000 people have received an honour from the Queen to celebrate her longevity, including various sporting figures.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand has been awarded an OBE for his activism and charity work. The Manchester United legend has established the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, a development charity that aims to support young people in disadvantaged communities.
Ferdinand has also raised awareness of breast cancer after his first wife, Rebecca, sadly died from the disease in May 2015, aged 34. His BBC documentary about his family’s loss – Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad – won a BAFTA in 2018.
On the pitch, Ferdinand enjoyed a stellar career. He won countless trophies – including six Premier League titles and the Champions League – and picked up 81 senior caps for England. He was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year six times.
Welsh international Gareth Bale
Wales captain Gareth Bale leads the list of sporting stars on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list after being awarded an MBE for services to football and charity.
The 32-year-old, who confirmed on Wednesday his trophy-laden nine-year spell at Real Madrid has come to an end became the first British player to win five Champions League crowns at the weekend after the club’s win against Liverpool. He also won the Spanish league title on three occasions and scored 106 goals for the club, including strikes in the 2014 and 2018 Champions League finals.
Bale also made a charitable donation of almost £1million in April 2020 to the fight against coronavirus, with half going to NH S Wales and the rest to hospitals in the Spanish capital of Madrid. He has also supported other charities in Wales.
Liverpool midfielder James Milner
James Milner has received an MBE for the work his foundation undertakes. The James Milner Foundation promotes healthy recreation for young people in the UK. It focuses on the development of opportunities in sports and offers financial assistance for those in need.
Milner’s trophy cabinet includes three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two EFL Cups and the Champions League. He was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2009-10, also earning a spot in the PFA Team of the Year that season.
The 36-year-old is part of the Reds’ squad which won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season but missed out on the Premier League and Champions League titles.
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Sujeeth Shetty
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