Outgoing Real Madrid forward, Gareth Bale, was awarded the prestigious Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) on June 1, for services to football and charity in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The Wales national donated Ksh124 million to help medical staff in Wales in 2020 during the pandemic.
Bale, 32, received the award hours after announcing his departure from La Liga's Real Madrid following their glory in the Champions League final in Paris last week.
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In Santiago Barnabeu, Bale saw his career grow tremendously for nine years and helped the club win five Champions League titles.
"I arrived here 9 years ago as a young man who wanted to realize my dream of playing for Real Madrid," wrote Bale in an open letter.
"I write this message to say thank you to all my teammates, past and present, my managers, the back room staff, and to the fans that supported me," he emotionally expressed his gratitude to Los Blancos.
Bale scored 106 goals in 258 appearances for Los Blancos after joining from Tottenham in a Ksh12.4 million transfer in 2013.
In the iconic 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool, Bale scored two goals including the famous head kick before his relationship with the then Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, took a turn for the worse.
Liverpool's midfielder James Milner also received the award having run his own foundation since 2011 on the back of a playing career that has spanned 20 years.
Former Manchester United superstar and defender, Rio Ferdinard, received the Order of the British Excellence (OBE) award.
At Old Trafford, Ferdinard made 455 appearances for United and scored eight goals, winning six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup, and two League Cups.
The awards are bestowed upon men and women for contributions to the arts and sciences, and charitable initiatives outside the civil service.
Ferdinard joins Gareth Bale and James Milner as three football-specific figures to have been recognized for their work on the evening of June 1.