OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William presented Alan Shearer with a CBE yesterday (06.12.16).
The 34-year-old royal – who is president of the Football Association – handed over the honour to the former England football captain at Buckingham Palace, and the ‘Match of the Day’ pundit admitted he felt “proud” to have been recognised.
He tweeted afterwards: “Very honoured and proud to receive my CBE today in recognition of my charity work. Thank you to everyone who supports me.”
The former footballer retweeted the message on his Alan Shearer Foundation account, which is a fundraising arm for the Alan Shearer Centre, a free facility for disabled children and adults.
Shearer launched his foundation in 2012 with the aim of raising £250,000 a year to provide support for disabled kids and adults in his home city, Newcastle.
Queen Elizabeth announced in her birthday honours that the star would be recognised for his charity work.
He said at the time: “Footballers often get criticised these days for not giving enough back. I had my testimonial in 2006 and I used that money to set up my foundation and it has gone on from strength to strength.
“I was determined not just to hand the money over but to take an active part in it and help run it.”
William is a big fan of one of Britain’s most successful football clubs, Aston Villa, who famously relegated Shearer’s Newcastle from the Premier League on the final day of the season in May 2009 when the former England striker was caretaker manager at the club.