Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive, has implored the state to award all of Leicester City’s players knighthoods following their improbable achievement of winning the Premier League this season.
Taylor, who has spent more than 50 years working in the game as a player and player’s union leader, has not witnessed a greater achievement in football and considers what Claudio Ranieri’s side has done to transcend the sport.
Only the British players would qualify for the full honour of being made a ‘sir’ and several of those — including Jamie Vardy, Danny Drinkwater, Marc Albrighton and Danny Simpson — have been integral regulars of the shock league winners. But the foreign players can also be recognised by an honorary knighthood.
‘It goes beyond football what they’ve done,’ Taylor, 71, told Sportsmail. ‘It remains to be seen if the choice to add them to the honours list comes from The Cabinet, but I would hope so. As football goes it’s probably, in my lifetime, one of the finest achievements I’ve seen.
‘Special success stories come from different areas of life. Leicester have shown that sport and football are a very important part of the fabric of this country. They give hope to any team who think they can never make it to top.’
The Queen is in charge of making the appointments, but receives recommendations from the Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Taylor wants them to consider Leicester’s players due to the inspirational nature of their triumph, which he believes has had a wider effect on society.
Speaking at the On The Board Graduation — a programme which helps footballers extend their careers into the boardroom — Taylor added: ‘For the PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez to have gone from the French Ligue 2, to failing in a trial at St Mirren, to show the resilience and belief to become the Premier League’s best player.
‘For Vardy to get released by Sheffield Wednesday, go to Stocksbridge Park Steels to Halifax Town and Fleetwood, to go on trial at Crewe and not be taken on, then suddenly he achieves the record of consecutive Premier League goals and is one of the country’s leading scorers.
‘For Kasper Schmeichel to live and play under the shadow of his father, Peter — it’s never easy to be a famous footballer’s son. There are inspirational stories from every team member, I could name them all.
‘They deserve all the credit they can get. The sum of their whole is so much greater than the individuals. That’s what football and life is all about — being a team.’
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