Team Bahrain-Victorious have withdrawn from the Tour de Suisse following the death of rider Gino Mader on Friday.

Mader, who was 26, died as a result of the injuries he suffered in a high-speed crash on a descent in Thursday’s stage five.

Friday’s stage six was cancelled, with the peloton instead riding the final 20 kilometres of the route in a neutralised group ride in memory of Mader.

Late on Friday, race organisers announced the final two stages of the race will go ahead this weekend – a decision reached in consultation with Mader’s family.

However, his team Bahrain-Victorious will not take part in the final two stages.

“Following the tragic loss of Gino Mader, Team Bahrain Victorious has taken the decision to withdraw from Tour de Suisse @tds,” the team said on social media.

There had been questions over whether the Tour would be completed, and also whether or not the women’s edition, which starts on Saturday, would begin.

Race director Olivier Senn said: “After consultation with all the people involved, we as the management stand united behind this decision and are trying to hold the last two stages of the men’s race in an appropriate setting.”

Justin Turner homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs and Masataka Yoshida had two of Boston’s eight doubles as the Red Sox pounded the rival New York Yankees 15-5 on Friday.

Turner’s two-run homer off Domingo German in the second inning extended Boston’s lead to 4-1 and he capped a six-run third with a grand slam - a 429-foot blast to center - to make it 10-1.

Turner fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in six runs for the second time in his career, also done against the Atlanta Braves while with the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 7, 2019.

Yoshida put Boston ahead to stay with a two-run double in the first inning, singled in the six-run third and doubled again and scored in the sixth. The Japanese rookie had his first four-hit game in the majors. 

The Red Sox tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning on a two-run single by Connor Wong and an RBI hit by Pablo Reyes.

Josh Donaldson homered and Anthony Rizzo knocked in three runs for New York.

There was a scary incident in the fifth inning when Boston starter Tanner Houck was struck on the face with a line drive off the bat of Kyle Higashioka. Houck immediately went to the ground and stayed down for a few minutes but was able to leave the field under his own power with a towel covering his cheek.

The Red Sox later announced that Houck received stitches and was checked out at a hospital.

Rays’ McClanahan first in majors to 11 wins

Shane McClanahan became the first pitcher in the major leagues to win 11 games, pitching into the seventh inning in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

McClanahan, who entered as the only MLB pitcher with 10 wins, held the Padres to one run and three hits over 6 2/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts. He won his third consecutive start and lowered his ERA to 2.12.

Isaac Paredes hit a solo home run and Randy Arozarena added a three-run shot and four RBIs to help major league-leading Tampa Bay win its third straight.

Arraez goes 5 for 5 with home run in Marlins’ win

Luis Arraez ended an 0-for-15 slump with a 5-for-5 performance that included a home run and three RBIs as the Miami Marlins topped the Washington Nationals 6-5.

Arraez had four singles and his first home run since April 11, ending a 52-game stretch without one. The five hits matched his career high, set June 3 against Oakland.

The Marlins won for the 10th time in 13 games to improve to 39-31, their best 70-game start since they went 42-28 in 1997, when they won the World Series.

Rory McIlroy vowed he would never give up seeking more major titles after heading into the third round of the 123rd US Open just two shots off the lead.

McIlroy covered his last nine holes in five under par to card a second round of 67 at Los Angeles Country Club, where Rickie Fowler set the pace after a rollercoaster 68.

Fowler, whose opening 62 equalled the lowest score in any men’s major, made eight birdies, six bogeys and just four pars to post a 10-under-par halfway total of 130, equalling the lowest in a US Open set by Martin Kaymer in 2014.

Fowler’s 18 birdies over the first two days are also the most in championship history and kept the 34-year-old in pole position to claim a first major title.

McIlroy, who is seeking his fifth and a first since the US PGA Championship in August 2014, said: “No-one wants me to win another major more than I do.

“The desire is obviously there. I’ve been trying and I’ve come close over the past nine years and I keep coming back.

“I feel like I’ve showed a lot of resilience in my career, whether I get rewarded or punched in the gut I’ll always keep coming back.”

Quote of the day

Rickie Fowler responds to a fan’s query of ‘What are you doing?’ with a shrug, despite three-putting the seventh.

Shot of the day

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick did not see it go one, but definitely DID make the third hole-in-one of the week on the short 15th.

Round of the day

Australia’s Min Woo Lee carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in a second round of 65.

Statistic of the day

Halfway leader Rickie Fowler’s mistakes have been offset by a record 18 birdies over the first 36 holes.

Easiest hole

The reachable par-four sixth hole played to an average of 3.670 as 68 of the 156-man field made birdie, although evidence suggested it was better to play the hole conventionally rather than attempt to drive the green.

Hardest hole

The easiest hole was immediately followed by the hardest as the 299-yard, par-three seventh played to an average of 3.510. Just seven players made birdie and 13 made a double bogey.

Weather forecast

Fog could greet the early starters on Saturday, but mostly sunny skies should take over before lunchtime with temperatures climbing well into the 70s. That will cause southwest winds to pick up to possible highs of 18mph.

Key tee times (all BST)

2307 Sam Bennett, Min Woo Lee
2318 Dustin Johnson, Harrish English
2329 Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy
2340 Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler

Rory McIlroy vowed he would never give up seeking more major titles after a flying finish left him just two shots off the halfway lead in the 123rd US Open.

McIlroy covered his last nine holes in five under par to card a second round of 67 at Los Angeles Country Club, where Rickie Fowler set the pace after a rollercoaster 68.

Fowler, whose opening 62 equalled the lowest score in any men’s major, made eight birdies, six bogeys and just four pars to post a 10-under-par halfway total of 130, equalling the lowest in a US Open set by Martin Kaymer in 2014.

Fowler’s 18 birdies over the first two days are also the most in championship history and kept the 34-year-old in pole position to claim a first major title.

McIlroy is seeking his fifth and a first since the US PGA Championship in August 2014, a month after he had won the Open at Royal Liverpool with a performance which has inspired this week’s approach.

“For whatever reason I went on to YouTube a few weeks ago and was looking back at Hoylake 2014 and I could not believe how many irons and three woods I was hitting off the tee and it set something off in my mind,” McIlroy said.

“You know how to do this, you know how to play smart. You don’t have to take driver – yes it’s a big weapon but I feel like I have more weapons in my arsenal than I did then so I may as well use them.”

Asked how much he wanted to win another major after a drought of almost nine years, McIlroy added: “I started thinking about winning this thing on Monday and no-one wants me to win another major more than I do.

“The desire is obviously there. I’ve been trying and I’ve come close over the past nine years and I keep coming back.

“I feel like I’ve showed a lot of resilience in my career, whether I get rewarded or punched in the gut I’ll always keep coming back.”

Fowler had failed to qualify for the last two US Opens as a loss of form saw him tumble to 185th in the world rankings, but came into the week on the back of successive top 10s on the PGA Tour and ranked 45th.

“I sure hope everyone can relate to struggles because everyone deals with them. No one’s perfect,” the Californian said.

“I think you’d be lying if you haven’t been through a tough time, especially if you play golf.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good in a tournament, let alone a major. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

American Wyndham Clark was a shot behind Fowler following a 67, with Xander Schauffele alongside McIlroy on eight under after only managing to add a 70 to his opening 62.

Harris English held outright fifth place on seven under with Dustin Johnson recovering from a quadruple-bogey eight on the second to remain six under, a total matched by Australia’s Min Woo Lee thanks to a superb 65.

Tournament officials had earlier insisted they would not respond harshly to the record low scores on day one,  although the par-three 11th measured 297 yards and water had only been applied to “isolated spots on the greens for turf health”.

John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer of the USGA, told NBC: “(On Friday), as planned, we will play the golf course longer. We could do things that could make it stupid hard. We’re not going to do that.”

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick made a hole-in-one on the 15th as he carded a 70 to lie one over par and make the halfway cut with a shot to spare.

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick had more than one reason to celebrate after making his first hole-in-one as a professional in the 123rd US Open.

Fitzpatrick aced the 115-yard 15th hole at Los Angeles Country Club on his way to a second round of 70 which looked set to secure his place in the final two rounds on one over par.

“As soon as I hit it I thought that it had a good chance of going close,” said Fitzpatrick, who was looking down at his club when the ball went in.

“The rough’s covering the hole so you couldn’t see it going in any way. My hand was a bit sore afterwards, I’ll be honest, after all the high-fiving. But, yeah, it was good.

“I wish it [the roar] would have been louder. I wish it was a few more people. But, yeah, I’m surprised there’s not been as many people out as I thought this week.

“But it was so exciting to see it and first ever professional hole-in-one. Without that I probably wouldn’t be here for the weekend. It was needed.”

Fitzpatrick gave back the two shots he gained on the 15th with a double bogey on the 17th and although he birdied the difficult 18th, the 28-year-old from Sheffield could only post eight pars and a bogey on the front nine.

“I’m third last in driving this week, so I feel very lucky to be here,” the world number eight added.

“I feel like every other aspect of my game is pretty decent, just can’t get the driver going. I feel like if I get the driver going I can shoot a really good score.

“I think the big issue around this place is you miss the fairway by a yard and you’ve got to chip out. I think it’s very poor when golf courses are set up like that. You can hit it 40 yards off line and you’ve got a lie.

“So I think there needs to be more done to sort of help more accurate players off the tee. By missing the fairway by a yard you shouldn’t have to be chipping it out. If you miss it by 40 you should be having to chip it out.”

Lewis Hamilton finished fastest in second practice for the Canadian Grand Prix as the action finally started in Montreal on Friday.

The opening running of the weekend was abandoned following an embarrassing CCTV failure at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

But the problem was fixed to allow an extended 90-minute second session later in the day and it was Hamilton who topped the time sheets with Mercedes team-mate George Russell second.

Carlos Sainz finished third for Ferrari ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while championship leader Max Verstappen ended the day in sixth position for Red Bull.

Hamilton finished runner-up to Verstappen at the last round in Spain a fortnight ago in his revamped Mercedes machine, and the seven-time world champion spoke earlier this week about the grid’s once-dominant team having discovered its North Star as they bid to reel in Red Bull.

And the early signs at the eighth round of the campaign were again encouraging at a venue where Hamilton has won on seven occasions – more than any other driver.

The 38-year-old finished 0.027 seconds clear of Russell in the other Mercedes, with Sainz a tenth adrift. Verstappen, who heads the championship order with five victories from seven appearances this year, finished four tenths back.

The second session was brought forward by 30 minutes – and extended to an hour-and-a-half – after the opening running was red-flagged with just four minutes on the board when Pierre Gasly broke down in his Alpine.

Only a handful of drivers had posted a lap with Hamilton and Russell among those who had not taken to the track.

The session had been expected to restart as usual following the removal of Gasly’s Alpine, but Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, blamed “issues with local CCTV infrastructure” for the initial delay.

The suspension in play then became temporary with the FIA confirming at 14:20 local time (19:20 BST) that the session would not be resumed leaving an estimated 90,000 spectators short-changed and the sport with red faces.

Two red flags then disrupted the second session after Nico Hulkenberg’s engine blew up, and Esteban Ocon broke down in his Alpine on a troubled day for the French team.

Dark clouds lingered over the 14-corner track and heavy rain arrived with 10 minutes remaining to cement Mercedes’ position at the top of the order.

Rain is forecast for Saturday’s qualifying session and could also play a part in Sunday’s 70-lap race.

Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh put their differences aside to send Belgium through to the second round of the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.

The duo won their opening match against Finland on Thursday night but cracks in their relationship showed immediately afterwards, with Huybrechts admitting he does not “get along with” Van den Bergh, who also said there was “something personal” between them.

But, in an attempt to avoid a civil war in the PDC competition, they put on a united front ahead of Friday night’s match with China.

They said in a joint statement on Twitter: “Following last night’s win at the World Cup of Darts, we have sat down to discuss our recent differences.

“Whilst some issues remain to be resolved in the fullness of time, we are both fully committed to doing our best as a team to win the World Cup of Darts for Belgium, and to represent ourselves, our families and our country in the best light.

“That begins with tonight’s game against China and our focus is now on preparing for the match as a team.”

Harmony was needed in a close match, with Van den Bergh producing an under-pressure 86 checkout in the deciding leg to clinch a 4-3 victory.

Defending champions Australia are yet to drop a leg and they eased to a 4-0 win over Gibraltar, while Croatia claimed a 4-1 upset victory over the Republic of Ireland.

Hosts Germany are safely through, beating Japan 4-0, and Poland set a new record average of 118.1 in their 4-1 success against Lithuania.

Elsewhere, there were victories for France, South Africa, Canada, Latvia, Sweden and the Philippines, while Denmark lost to the USA but still go through.

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed another magical moment in the US Open as Rory McIlroy’s fast finish kept him firmly in contention to end his major drought.

Fitzpatrick recorded the third hole-in-one of the week on the 115-yard 15th at Los Angeles Country Club, his tee shot spinning back into the hole just as those of Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns had done in round one.

However, Fitzpatrick could not see where the ball had landed and was walking off the tee before the roar from the crowd sparked enthusiastic, if somewhat belated, celebrations.

The eagle briefly lifted Fitzpatrick into red figures, but he eventually slipped back to where he started the day on one over to trail early clubhouse leader Wyndham Clark by 10 shots.

Clark carded four birdies and a solitary bogey as he added a 67 to his opening 64 to reach nine under par, a shot ahead of four-time major winner McIlroy.

McIlroy looked set for a frustrating day as he covered the back nine in 37, but then birdied the first, third, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth to storm home in 30 – as far as it is possible to ‘storm’ in a round which took five hours, 39 minutes to complete.

McIlroy revealed he had been inspired to take a somewhat more cautious approach this week after watching the highlights of his 2014 Open victory at Royal Liverpool, which will host the year’s final major again next month.

“For whatever reason I went on to YouTube a few weeks ago and was looking back at Hoylake 2014 and I could not believe how many irons and three woods I was hitting off the tee and it set something off in my mind,” McIlroy said.

“You know how to do this, you know how to play smart. You don’t have to take driver – yes it’s a big weapon but I feel like I have more weapons in my arsenal than I did then so I may as well use them.”

Asked how much he wanted to win another major after a drought of almost nine years, McIlroy added: “I started thinking about winning this thing on Monday and no-one wants me to win another major more than I do.

“The desire is obviously there. I’ve been trying and I’ve come close over the past nine years and I keep coming back.

“I feel like I’ve showed a lot of resilience in my career, whether I get rewarded or punched in the gut I’ll always keep coming back.”

Dustin Johnson had recovered from a quadruple-bogey eight on the second to add a 70 to his opening 64 and remain six under par, a total matched by Australia’s Min Woo Lee thanks to a superb 65.

Overnight leaders Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele were among the later starters, Fowler starting brilliantly with three straight birdies to improve to 11 under.

Fowler and Schauffele had both shot 62 in the first round to record the lowest score in US Open history and equal the lowest in any men’s major, while the scoring average of 71.38 was another tournament record.

Tournament officials insisted they would not respond by making conditions “stupid hard”, although the par-three 11th was playing 297 yards and water had only been applied to “isolated spots on the greens for turf health”.

John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer of the USGA, told NBC: “[On Friday], as planned, we will play the golf course longer.

“We’re not going to force anything. We could do things that could make it stupid hard. We’re not going to do that.”

History-making darts player Fallon Sherrock has been made an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Sherrock, who comes from Milton Keynes, became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship in 2019, beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic on her way to the third round at Alexandra Palace, earning the nickname ‘Queen of the Palace’.

Two years later she became the first woman in darts history to reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament as she again beat Suljovic en route to the last eight of the Grand Slam of Darts.

Her ground-breaking exploits have carried on as she won the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool last year and then in March became the first woman to throw a nine-dart finish at a PDC event.

That success at the oche has helped her become a household name, appearing on several TV shows as a celebrity guest.

But her success in the men’s game has come at a cost after she revealed how hard life on the women’s tour had become for her.

She spoke of being made to feel uncomfortable among her female opponents and receiving “hate”.

In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: “I could be the best person in the world and I still get hate or I could do everything wrong and still get it. I am at a point now where I am like, ‘If you are going to hate me, hate me’.

“I am not going to beat around the bush, I even get it with players now and I genuinely don’t care anymore. I am at a point where I don’t care what anyone does or says to me.”

Former England footballer Ian Wright and ex-England rugby captain Sarah Hunter are among the sporting stars who have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Hunter, who won a record 141 caps and was part of the team which won the 2014 World Cup, has become a CBE, and is one of a number of influential women on the list which also includes former UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl, former England football star Eniola Aluko, ex-England cricketer Lydia Greenway and darts player Fallon Sherrock.

Nicholl, who led UK Sport during a period of unprecedented success for Great Britain in Olympic and Paralympic sport between 2010 and 2019, has been given a damehood.

Nicholl said she felt “overwhelmed” by the honour and added: “It has been a real privilege to serve in various roles in sport over the last 40-plus years, working alongside really talented colleagues, and I take huge delight in seeing the recent significant growth in opportunities for women and girls to enjoy participating in sport, both in the UK and internationally.

“I feel incredibly privileged to have now been awarded the honour of becoming a Dame.”

Greenway, the Cricket For Girls founder and a four-time Ashes winner, becomes an OBE while Aluko, who won 102 caps for the Lionesses, has been made an MBE.

Sherrock, 28, has been made an MBE for services to her sport. She made history in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship and this year became the first woman to throw a nine-dart finish at a PDC event.

Wright, a very vocal ally for women’s football, becomes an OBE for services to football and charity. The 59-year-old, who starred as a striker for Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England, is now a popular broadcaster for the BBC and ITV.

The list does not feature former rugby league stars Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow, despite fresh calls for the pair to be further recognised for their work raising awareness of motor neurone disease and raising money for research into the condition.

Burrow was diagnosed with the incurable condition in 2019, and his friend Sinfield has since raised more than £7million through different charity challenges. Sinfield was made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021, while Burrow became an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours.

John Greig, who made more than 700 appearances in a glittering club career for Rangers, has become a CBE.

Greig won five league titles and six Scottish Cups with the Light Blues and also captained them to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.

Leicester’s Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans has been made an MBE, along with referee Amy Fearn, who in 2010 when she became the first woman to officiate a men’s EFL match in the final 20 minutes of the Coventry v Nottingham Forest game.

Greenway was joined on the list by fellow cricketers Adil Rashid and Sam Curran, who are both made MBEs.

Rashid was part of the England team which won the 2019 World Cup and played alongside Curran in last year’s T20 World Cup triumph.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, who secured their 17th wheelchair tennis doubles grand slam title together earlier this month at the French Open, have been made OBEs.

Hewett, 25, has also won seven grand slam singles titles while Reid, who became an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours list, has two grand slam singles titles.

Hewett told the PA news agency: “I never would have dreamt that I’d receive something like this in my lifetime, I just get my head down and work hard in the sport that I love so I’m extremely proud and grateful for this, and everyone who has helped me get to where I am today.

“It’s amazing to see wheelchair tennis and disability sport get this level of recognition. it’s so vital in encouraging people with disabilities to be active and to just be creating a more inclusive society.

“It’s a big passion of mine to keep growing the sport, and with the platform I have to send the message that anything is possible with a leap of faith, relentless determination and the right mentality.”

Reid added: “It is a great honour to be receiving an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. I hope my platform as a professional athlete can help inspire other people with disabilities to lead an active and positive lifestyle.”

There is recognition too for England’s World Cup-winning wheelchair rugby league team.

Captain Tom Halliwell has been made an OBE, while team-mate Sebastien Bechara and coach Tom Coyd have become MBEs.

Non Stanford, who won the women’s world triathlon title in 2013 and finished fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was also made an MBE.

Adil Rashid and Lydia Greenway’s cricketing careers and community endeavours have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Rashid, 35, has been made an MBE for services to cricket, as has fellow England player Sam Curran.

Greenway, who won 225 caps across three formats for England before retiring in 2016 and setting up the Cricket For Girls academy, becomes an OBE.

Like Greenway, leg-spinner Rashid has sought to give back to his sport via the Adil Rashid Cricket Centre in his home city of Bradford.

Rashid, who has 220 limited-overs caps for England and was part of the 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup-winning teams, told the PA news agency: “I am so grateful for the things I have and I know some people don’t have as much as me, so I try to give what I can.

“I’ve set up the Adil Rashid Cricket Centre in Bradford, that’s open now and I want to see Asian cricketers coming through there, but it’s a place where people can be day to day as well. It’s for cricket and for the community.”

Rashid hopes to inspire other players from an Asian background to follow in his footsteps, during a turbulent period for the sport in England.

A Cricket Discipline Commission panel found six former Yorkshire players had used racist or discriminatory language towards Rashid’s former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq, with Rashid acting as a witness at the hearing.

Yorkshire have admitted four charges over their handling of Rafiq’s allegations, with a sanctions hearing scheduled for June 27.

“I try (to be a positive role model). It’s been a tricky few years for cricket, ups and down, but things don’t always sail smoothly,” he added.

“You want to be a role model away from the pitch. Me and Mo (Moeen Ali) are out there in our communities.

“We all have the responsibility to do our best on and off the field. Through playing cricket we are showing other people from these parts of England that they can make it to the top.”

Greenway, who played in four Ashes-winning teams and was part of England’s double World Cup success in 2009, cited hard work and resilience as two of the key characteristics she and her generation of players had to show to reach the top, having come through at a time before central contracts.

She said her family had all been supportive in helping her reach the top, including her late grandmother.

“She really helped provide perspective when things went a bit ‘Pete Tong'”, Greenway told PA.

“She was very level-headed and a really good person to just go and have a cup of tea with when you’ve had a bad week or a bad game or something. She was always there.”

Greenway’s Cricket For Girls academy helps train teachers to deliver coaching.

“Working with the teachers is probably some of the most rewarding work that I do because they’re brilliant,” she said.

“They’re so passionate about what they do, but they just need a bit of a push in the right direction.”

Greenway is excited for the Women’s Ashes, which has been scheduled side by side with the men’s series this summer.

“Women’s cricket is in as strong a place as it ever has been because there just always seems to be these gradual improvements that are being fed into the game,” she added.

“With the men and women being on the same platform for the Ashes, we saw with the Hundred that when you present a sport that is seen as equal from a man and a woman’s point of view, the youngsters don’t even question it.

“It really helps shape people’s attitudes towards women’s cricket and shows it as what it should be, in that these are people who are at the top of what they can do, physically and mentally, going head to head with their opposition.

“It will only help grow the amount of publicity and awareness of the women’s game which is brilliant.”

Curran’s MBE is recognition of the tremendous start he has made to his career, with the highlight at international level being his star turn in helping England win the T20 World Cup last year.

He has so far played 85 times across three formats for England.

Curran said he was “overwhelmed and delighted” to learn he was being honoured, adding: “You see people getting these titles but you don’t expect it to be you. It’s an incredibly proud moment, not just for myself but for those who have helped me over the years.

“My loved ones have been a massive part of the journey and helped me every step of the way, they keep you motivated and help you succeed. There are a lot of awards in cricket but as an English sportsman this is a huge honour.”

Northern Ireland centurion Jonny Evans is full of pride after becoming an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

The 35-year-old Leicester defender, who had won 100 caps for his country heading into this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers, is one of a number of people from the world of football to be recognised.

Former Rangers captain John Greig becomes a CBE, ex-Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England forward Ian Wright was made an OBE while former Chelsea and England forward Eniola Aluko becomes an MBE.

Evans said: “When I got the letter through the door and it had the royal seal on the back I was a bit shocked, but it was also amazing.

“It made me feel very proud, especially when I saw that it was in recognition of my contribution to association football in Northern Ireland.

“It brought it home that playing more than 100 times for my country, and playing for so long for Northern Ireland, has been so good. I represented everyone in the country and had many good times along the way.”

Evans is already excited by the prospect of the investiture ceremony, on a date to be confirmed.

“It will be a really special day and one that we will really enjoy,” he added.

Wright becomes an OBE for services to football and charity.

He was a late developer and did not sign professionally until the age of 21 with Palace, having been playing in non-league for Dulwich Hamlet.

He scored a post-war record 117 goals for the Eagles and scored twice for them in a 3-3 draw against Manchester United in the 1990 FA Cup final, before the London club were beaten 1-0 in the replay.

He enjoyed even greater success at Arsenal after signing for them in 1991, finishing as the Gunners’ top scorer for six seasons in a row and scoring 185 goals for the club in total – a figure only surpassed by Thierry Henry.

Since retiring in 2000, Wright has become a regular and popular pundit on Match of the Day and on ITV’s coverage of the England men’s and women’s teams.

He has spoken powerfully about racism in football and last summer during the Women’s Euros added his voice for the calls for girls to be given equal access to the sport at school.

Aluko won 102 caps for the Lionesses during her playing career, having started out at Birmingham in 2001. She was part of the Chelsea squad which won the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Women’s Super League titles and the 2015 and 2018 FA Cup.

She was part of the Lionesses team which reached the final of the 2009 Euros, and a key component of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

Since her retirement, she has worked in director roles at Aston Villa and Angel City in the American National Women’s Soccer League, as well as a television pundit.

Greig’s CBE is recognition of an incredible career with Rangers, in which he won five league titles and six Scottish Cups, captained them to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972 and was voted by supporters as “The Greatest Ever Ranger” in 1999.

Also recognised is referee Amy Fearn, who in 2010 became the first woman to referee an EFL match when she took over officiating duties for the final 20 minutes of the game between Coventry and Nottingham Forest.

Fearn, who also became the first woman to referee in the men’s FA Cup first round in 2013, said: “It’s all a little bit surreal but all very nice at the same time.

“I got a letter through the post about a month ago to say that I had been nominated and would I like to accept it. My initial reaction was, who was winding me up?!

“The letter was totally out of the blue. When you make the phone call to confirm everything, I asked who it was that had nominated me but they said they couldn’t tell me.

“For someone to take the time to nominate me and go to this much effort is very nice and touching.”

Sarah Hunter is planning a beach holiday in Italy this summer with the aim of processing a momentous period of her life that has produced its latest achievement in the form a CBE.

England’s most capped player with 141 Test appearances has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list for services to rugby union.

Seven months ago the 37-year-old was coming to terms with a defeat to New Zealand in the final of the World Cup that left her needing a break from the sport.

When the decision to retire was made, England’s captain did it on her own terms by bowing out in her home town as the Six Nations got under way in Newcastle in March.

As one of the greatest champions for the advancement of women’s rugby, the farewell procession has been lengthy, but her association with the Red Roses endures after she was given the newly-created role of transition coach.

A breathless schedule means Hunter has so far been unable to book next month’s fortnight break on the continent, but when it comes it will finally provide the space to make sense of recent events.

“Never in a million years did I ever expect to have the career I’ve had and for it to be recognised like this,” she told the PA news agency.

“I’m just an ordinary girl from the north-east of England who has happened to have an incredible time playing rugby.

“I haven’t really had the time to take it all in. After the World Cup it was pretty difficult. We went into the tournament really confident but it didn’t pan out and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.

“When I came back I didn’t want to see rugby or be involved in rugby. My club Loughborough gave me time and space as a person and not just as a rugby player, which was really important.

“I was captain when we lost the World Cup final in 2017 and from that I learned to be kind to myself. You’re older and wiser and reflect that in sport these things happen. I didn’t want to be around rugby and that was an important thing to recognise.

“I’m really glad I took the time because while it’s all been a whirlwind, the last four or five months have been pretty special. Once I decided to call time on my career, doing it at Newcastle felt really right.

“I got to do it in a place that is so special to me with all my friends and family there. People think I was mad not doing it at Twickenham for the Grand Slam decider in front of 60,000, but for me it’s never been about the grandeur or magnitude of something, it’s about what matters to me.

“When I walked out on to the pitch, I knew it was the right moment and I’ve not missed playing since.

“Opportunities have come since then and it feels like I’ve been living in a bubble that I’m sure will be popped soon and the reality of what has happened over the last six month will finally hit me.

“From being in a mindset where rugby wasn’t a great place for me after the World Cup to being in a great place knowing what I’ve been able to take from the game is incredible.

“It’s been an eventful six months but I’m looking forward to sitting on a beach and reflecting on it.”

Hunter made her England debut in 2007 in front of fewer than 200 people at Old Albanians, just outside St Albans, and recalls that “no one knew it was happening.”

Fast forward 16 years and 10,200 crammed into Kingston Park to watch the number eight say goodbye in a match broadcast live on terrestrial TV. And at the end of the Six Nations, 58,498 gathered at Twickenham to see England clinch the Grand Slam – a world record attendance for women’s rugby.

“As I’ve got older, what has become really special for me is seeing how the game has grown,” said Hunter, who hopes to build on a coaching career that started at Loughborough.

“What has been the greater purpose of me playing?”

“While I will have special memories of winning the World Cup and Six Nations titles, and the team-mates I’ve had along the way, playing a small part in taking the game to an unbelievable level is one of the things I’m most proud of.

“Knowing I’ve done that as part of a generation of players who have taken the game to another place is special.”