Alan Shearer has told how it felt to be honored at Buckingham Palace following David Beckham’s coveted knighthood. The Newcastle legend, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and then the Order of the British Empire in 2016, reflected on being celebrated at the Royal Residence, describing it as a “surreal” moment.
“It’s a great experience to receive the honour,” Shearer told Betfair. “I went to Buckingham Palace on both occasions and it was an amazing day.[You’re]so proud of yourself and your family. It’s the result of all the hard work you’ve put in over the years and all the hard work you’ve put in. It’s pretty surreal.” Shearer, 55, enjoyed one of the most remarkable careers in English football, scoring more than 400 goals for Newcastle, Blackburn, Southampton and the England national team.
He won the Premier League with Blackburn in 1994-95, remains the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals, and captained his country for several years. But Shearer’s royal recognition was not based solely on his success on the pitch. His dedication to philanthropy and contributions to the North East community were key factors in his award.
Philanthropy was also central to Beckham’s knighthood. The Manchester United great, who was knighted by King Charles last week, was praised for his impact on a number of charities, including football’s long-standing partnership with UNICEF and support for organizations such as Malaria No More and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Mr Beckham has long been considered for the honour, and Mr Shearer said it was “about time” he received the “very well-deserved” honor.
“He was a great ambassador for the football world. Obviously he also did a lot of charity work and if you listen to him talk to the media afterwards you can tell how much it meant to him and how proud he was and how proud his whole family was,” said the Match of the Day pundit. “My heartfelt congratulations to him and his family, which is well-deserved.”
Shearer and Beckham both played together for four years for England, playing key roles in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Despite the talent within the squad, the Three Lions were unable to break into the top half of either competition.
At the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham’s ignominious sending off in the round of 16 against Argentina was decisive, and England were eliminated on penalties. Two years later, at Euro 2000, the team suffered further heartache, being eliminated in the group stage despite a famous victory over arch-rivals Germany.
“I was lucky enough to play with him (Beckham) for England in 1998, and that night against Argentina was one of the big stories of the World Cup,” Shearer recalled. “I played with him again at Euro 2000 and when I scored against Germany he put in a great ball.
“It was an unbelievable cross from Beckham. It was a dream for a forward. He had great technique and was fantastic. We weren’t the best team in 2000, but we went into ’98 thinking we could win.”
After Euro 2000, Shearer ended his international career and Beckham became England captain. Beckham then coached the national team for six years, taking them to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and to Euro 2004.
Each time, England’s journey ended in a familiar quarter-final defeat. Beckham stepped down as captain of the German national team at the end of 2006, but continued to represent Germany until 2009.
