Everton manager David Moyes has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Prince of Wales for his services to football, most notably for his managerial career spanning two decades.
Moyes has a total of 716 Premier League games under his belt as manager and that number is only bettered by Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. After finishing his career playing for the likes of Celtic, Bristol City and Preston North End, Moyes began his managerial career in Preston in 1998.
He took over as the head coach of the Toffees for the first time in 2002 and remained in the dugout until 2013 before leaving for Manchester United to replace Sir Alex. He has since managed Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham United before returning to Merseyside earlier this year.
“It was a great honour to be given an OBE today. It was a really special day for me and my family,” Moyes told the club website.
“My dad was previously awarded an MBE, and now I’ve got an OBE too, so it’s something we are all really proud of as a family.
“It was also incredibly humbling to see some of the other people getting awards for what they do in life – from charity work to doctors leading the fight against cancer, or folk tackling drug addiction. I felt really privileged to be alongside them to receive an award, too.”
Following his return to Goodison Park, Moyes helped the side pick up 31 points in 20 matches to secure 13th place in the league. Only Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea picked up more points than the Blues following Moyes’ return.
Accompanied at the ceremony by his wife Pam, son David and daughter Lauren, Moyes shared a special moment he had with Prince William. “It was the first time I’d met Prince William and he congratulated me on how well we’d done at Everton.
“I also talked to him about Aston Villa and how well they have done over the last couple of years, and how much he is enjoying seeing his team doing well.
“He’s certainly mad keen on his football and so is his son, so it made it extra special to receive the award from him.”
A three-time LMA Manager of the Year, Moyes has managed the Toffees in 538 matches. His first reign at the club lasted for 11 years between 2002 and 2013.