Wales captain Sophie Ingle has been awarded an OBE for her services to football.
The 31-year-old midfielder was one of a number of Welsh sporting stars to be recognised for her achievements.
The honour comes just days after Ingle put pen to paper on a new contract with defending Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, seeing the Welsh centurion remain at the London club until 2025.
READ MORE: Wales captain Sophie Ingle extends Chelsea contract ahead of Euro 2024 campaign
Ingle began her career with boys' team Vale Wanderers where she famously made an appeal to the Football Association of Wales at the age of 12 to allow her to keep playing with the boys after the cut-off point for mixed teams. When refused the opportunity, Ingle spent a year away from football but returned for stints with Vale Wanderers girls and Dinas Powys Ladies before making the jump to Cardiff City Ladies.
A move to Chelsea followed, where Ingle relished a positive start to her career. Stints at Bristol City Ladies and Liverpool followed before Ingle returned to Chelsea in 2018, where she has helped Emma Hayes’ side to three WSL titles, the Continental Cup, two FA Cups and the Community Shield, and reached the Champions League final.
Ingle captained the Welsh side that fell to an agonising World Cup qualifying play-off final defeat to Switzerland in October. The match marked the furthest Wales Women have ventured in their bid to qualify for a first major tournament.
In the face of defeat, Ingle remained poised as she heralded the efforts made on and off the pitch for women’s football in Wales and encouraged more work to be done in the new year as the women’s team vie for a place at Euro 2024.
Wales return to competitive action in February in the Pinatar Cup in Spain, where they will face Philippines, Iceland and Scotland.
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