Former West Ham United manager David Moyes has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to football.
The 62-year-old was among the list of names on the King’s New Year Honours list, published in late December, and on Wednesday he received his award at a ceremony conducted by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.
The honour recognises the huge contribution Moyes has made to the beautiful game, first during a 19-year playing career that started with Scottish giants Celtic and took in spells with the likes of Cambridge United, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town, Dunfermline Athletic and Preston North End.
Having made over 550 appearances on the grass, and taken his coaching badges at the age of just 22, the Glasgow native took on his first managerial role at Preston in January 1998, aged 34.
After four successful years at Deepdale, eleven years at Everton and further stints at Manchester United, Spanish outfit Real Sociedad and Sunderland, Moyes arrived in east London for the first of two spells in charge of West Ham in November 2017.
The former defender successfully guided the Hammers out of the relegation zone to the safety of a 13th-place finish by the end of 2017/18, before returning to London Stadium on an initial 18-month contract in December 2019 and leading the Club to Premier League safety for a second time in 2019/20, despite the added challenge of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
From there, Moyes inspired West Ham to a record top-flight points total of 65 in 2020/21, the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in 2021/22, and the unforgettable UEFA Europa Conference League glory of 2022/23 - the Irons’ first major trophy in 43 years.
At the end of 2023/24, having taken charge of 262 Claret and Blue matches in all competitions, he left West Ham upon the expiry of his contract, before taking over at Everton for a second time in January 2025.
A three-time LMA (League Managers Association) Manager of the Year, Moyes has overseen a total of 716 Premier League games as it stands - the third most behind only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger.
Moyes said: “It was a great honour to be given an OBE today. It was a really special day for me and my family.
“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.
“Bringing a trophy to West Ham, I think was huge, and I’ve been really fortunate that I’ve been able to manage and stay in the game for such a long time.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate David on receiving such a prestigious honour.
