The Queen’s New Year Honours list saw former England captain Gillian Coultard appointed an MBE for services to football.
The midfielder made 119 appearances for England and at the time was one of only five players to have reached over 100 caps, as well as the first woman or amateur footballer to have done so.
She scored 30 goals for her country and was in the squad that lost to Sweden on penalties in the first UEFA Final.
Coultard won two National League titles and six FA Women’s Cup finals during 24 years with Doncaster Belles, making over 300 appearances and fitting in four training sessions every week despite having a full–time job.
Retiring from international football aged 37, she began a coaching role in the National Women’s Football Academy, was inducted into the England Football Hall of Fame and later managed Hartlepool United Ladies.
