Sir Kenny Dalglish will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023.
Dalglish, who scored 167 times in 320 appearances, lifting nine trophies for Celtic before he moved to Liverpool for a British record transfer fee at the time of £440,000, will be handed the award on Tuesday.
Dalglish would go on to become a Liverpool great and helped the club retain the European Cup against Club Brugge at Wembley in 1978 by scoring the only goal of the game.
Regarded by many at Anfield as ‘King Kenny’ and Liverpool’s greatest ever footballer, he remains the only player to score more than 100 league goals in both Scotland and England.
Dalglish insisted he would not have received this award without the help of those around him during his playing and coaching days, including players and fans.
He said: “Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is truly an honour.
“I have always believed in the importance of team success and I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the players I’ve played with, the people I’ve worked for and the supporters that stood by me – so this is for them.
“My accolades would be the players I played with, the supporters that stood by me and the supporters that gave me the support and the confidence to go and play.
“For every club side and national team I’ve been involved with, I’ve always said how important it is to have the support of the fans. And the fans who support you, they’re a vital, vital part of any success.
“With all the teams, I experienced that and I can tell you it is true, they do help us.
“When we are struggling, they’re still there and they’re willing you on, trying to get a result, a positive result.”
Dalglish spent six years as manager of Liverpool from 1985 and returned to Anfield over 20 years later to replace the sacked Roy Hodgson, while he also spent time in charge of Blackburn, Newcastle and Celtic.
“To go from the dressing room to the manager’s office, I wasn’t always the most comfortable, but I had fantastic support from senior people at Liverpool,” he added.
“The most comfortable place for me as a player was in the dressing room. I missed the dressing room, but you’ve got to move on in your life and that is what destiny was telling me, move on.”
Director of BBC Sport, Barbara Slater, said: “Kenny has dedicated so much of his life to football, both on the pitch and as a manager.
“He’s broken records for club and country and always shown himself as a true leader, especially through the tragedy of Hillsborough in 1989 and the years to follow.
“Kenny is a true inspiration and a deserved winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Cavalier SC clinch Jamaica Premier League title in dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mount Pleasant
Cavalier SC secured their third Jamaica Premier League title in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, defeating defending champions Mount Pleasant FA 4-3 on penalties at the National Stadium in Kingston.
After a hard-fought 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, the match was decided by a tense penalty shootout. Cavalier SC goalkeeper Vino Barclett emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves during the shootout. Nicholas Hamilton, who entered the game late in extra time, sealed the victory with the decisive penalty.
Mount Pleasant had taken the lead in the 65th minute through Devonte Campbell, whose well-placed shot found the net. However, Cavalier SC quickly responded just two minutes later when Richard King leveled the score from close range.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner in extra time, neither could break the deadlock, leading to the drama of penalties. Initially trailing 0-2 in the shootout, Cavalier SC staged a remarkable comeback, holding their nerve to prevail 4-3.
In the playoff for third place earlier in the day, Arnett Gardens secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Waterhouse.
Cavalier SC's triumph marks a significant achievement for the club, avenging last year's final defeat to Mount Pleasant and showcasing their resilience and determination throughout the season.
Injured Ederson replaced in expanded Brazil Copa America squad
Brazil coach Dorival Junior has replaced the injured Ederson for the Copa America and called three more players up to an expanded squad.
South American governing body CONMEBOL announced that teams can now name a 26-man squad, up from the original 23 allowed at the tournament.
Dorival Junior has called upon Juventus defender Bremer, Atalanta midfielder Ederson and Porto forward Pepe as the extra players for his team.
Manchester City's Ederson will not be fit to play at the Copa America, so Sao Paolo's Rafael has been called up in his place.
The goalkeeper suffered a small fracture on his eye socket in a heavy collision with Cristian Romero against Tottenham and missed the end of their league season.
Brazil’s original 23-man squad, announced earlier this month, did not include Casemiro, Richarlison or Gabriel Jesus, though 17-year-old prodigy Endrick was included.
Selecao are nine-time winners of the Copa America and will kick off their campaign against Costa Rica in Group D on June 24.
Outgoing Brighton boss De Zerbi not walking into new job
Roberto De Zerbi insisted he does not have another job lined up after overseeing his final game as Brighton and Hove Albion boss on Sunday.
One day after surprisingly announcing De Zerbi's departure, Brighton ended their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United.
That meant they slipped below rivals Crystal Palace to finish 11th in the table, their first bottom-half placing since finishing 16th in 2020-21.
De Zerbi has been linked with several big clubs since leading Brighton to European qualification last season, with Bayern Munich, Milan and Napoli touted as possible landing spots for the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach.
However, De Zerbi says he has not reached an agreement with any other club, telling reporters: "There isn't any club – no-one offered me anything. At the moment, nothing.
"I hope to work in the Premier League again. I don't know where or when, but it was an honour to work in the Premier League."
Sunday's defeat was De Zerbi's 70th Premier League game in charge of Brighton, with his top-flight win percentage of 37 per cent (26/70) the highest of any boss in the Seagulls' history.
Battling a lengthy injury list for much of 2023-24, Brighton made a total of 143 changes to their starting lineup throughout the course of the campaign, with only Manchester City in 2019-20 (144) ever making more in a single Premier League season.
Asked by BBC Match of the Day if there was a particular reason for his exit, the Italian added: "We didn't find the agreement to move on. I want to keep my way.
"I know very well what I want to do and I know I am a coach and I have to accept the policies of the club.
"They gave me an incredible chance. They gave me the possibility to know incredible people, to play and to work in the Premier League, to play in the Europa League. They gave me the opportunity to know this club, this city, these fans and that I cannot forget."
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna and Nice coach Francesco Farioli have both been tipped as possible contenders to replace De Zerbi, with Brighton having a reputation for excellent succession planning under owner Tony Bloom.
Asked about the search for a replacement on Sunday, Bloom said: "We always try and have a plan. We have got a plan. We now need to execute that plan."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
