‘Sir Kenny’ dedicates knighthood to family and former managers

Liverpool and Celtic great Kenny Dalglish dedicated his knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours to his family and everyone involved in his career after admitting it “doesn’t feel right” receiving the personal accolade.

‘King’ Kenny, as he is belovedly known by millions of football fans, has become, to give him his full, formal title, Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish.

But the 67-year-old will not be signing himself as ‘Sir Kenny’ and is keen for the work which brought the recognition – rather than the recognition itself – to be the focus of attention.

'King' Kenny has become a Sir in the Queen's Birthday Honours. — ‘King’ Kenny has become a Sir in the Queen’s Birthday Honours (Credit: Peter Byrne/PA).

“Obviously it takes everything you have done in your life into consideration,” said the Scot, who joked he thought the citation was a bill from the taxman when it dropped through his letterbox.

“Football was part of it and a very important part of it. So is the charity that we have in Marina’s name and obviously Hillsborough must have been part of it as well.

As a Liverpool player Kenny Dalglish won multiple honours, including three European Cups and six league titles. — As a Liverpool player, Dalglish won multiple honours, including three European Cups and six league titles (Peter Robinson/Empics).

“You start off in your life just hoping to be a footballer. You become a footballer and have a bit of success and that seems to give you a platform to go on to other things.

“We only set out to do the best we possibly could, even through all the other stuff.

“The charity or Hillsborough; it was to help people because somebody helped us.”

Kenny Dalglish credits Bob Paisley, the main who signed him for Liverpool for £400,000, as a major influence on his career. — Dalglish credits Bob Paisley, the main who signed him for Liverpool for £440,000, as a major influence on his career (PA).

Dalglish credits many people with having had a significant influence on his life and career.

“You start off with your parents and they put you on the right road,” he added.

“Then the football; you couldn’t get any better tutors than Jock Stein and Bob Paisley (his managers at Celtic and Liverpool respectively).

Dalglish has helped raise more than £10million for wife Marina's charity, for for which she received an MBE for services to breast cancer patients. — Dalglish has helped raise more than £10million for wife Marina’s charity, for for which she received an MBE for services to breast cancer patients. (Anthony Devlin/PA).

“Someone has thought it was fitting for me to get it and that’s all we can deal with at the moment.”

In talking about the award Dalglish, made an MBE in 1984 for services to football, used ‘we’ throughout – specifically referring to himself and his wife but also the wider family.

Dalglish played a key role in the aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster, once attending four funerals in one day as he supported families of the 96 victims. — Dalglish played a key role in the aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster, once attending four funerals in one day as he supported families of the 96 victims (Ross Kinnaird/Empics).

His team won the highly-emotional all-Merseyside final that year – a day Dalglish identifies as the stand-out moment of his career.

“For me, that is the most important memory,” he said.

Liverpool’s Ian Rush scores the first of his two goals past Everton’s Neville Southall in the all-Merseyside 1989 FA Cup Final at Wembley. — Liverpool’s Ian Rush scores the first of his two goals past Everton’s Neville Southall in the all-Merseyside 1989 FA Cup Final at Wembley (PA).

“All right, we lost the league to Arsenal but I think the cup was the most important trophy that year for everybody – and that’s not to undervalue anything else.

“I look back and think ‘I’m really pleased we won that one’.”