Sir Kenny Dalglish says he is ‘humbled’ to receive a knighthood for his role in supporting the families of Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough in 1989.
The Liverpool legend and wife Marina were the public face of the club after 96 supporters lost their lives at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
Sir Kenny, who was Liverpool manager at the time, said of the Hillsborough families: ‘They were fantastically supportive of the football club and in that instance it was important for us to turn supporter.
‘They needed a bit of help, we wanted to help them, and I’m sure they would have done the same for us — that’s what life is all about.’
The no-look knighthood 😊 #sirkennethdalglish pic.twitter.com/mseOvgynuS
— Kelly Cates (@KellyCates) November 16, 2018
Dalglish, 67, was knighted by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace for his services to football, charity and the city of Liverpool.
He enjoyed a glittering career at Anfield, winning six First Division titles and three European Cups as a player.
As a manager, he performed the rare feat of winning top-flight titles with two clubs, Liverpool and Blackburn. His award also recognised the work of the Marina Dalglish Appeal, set up in 2005 after Lady Dalglish was successfully treated for breast cancer. Speaking of his award, Dalglish said: ‘You feel humble. When you start off in your life, what do you want? You just want to play football.’
Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe was awarded an OBE for his charity work.
The striker dedicated the honour to Bradley Lowery, the terminally-ill six-year-old Sunderland fan who Defoe befriended during his time at the club and who passed away in 2017. Defoe said: ‘I have great memories of Bradley — it still hurts.’