Legend Bert Williams awarded MBE

Shropshire football legend Bert Williams today said he was "surprised and very grateful" after receiving an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

The Shifnal-based veteran, who won a string of honours with Wolves and represented England in the 1950 World Cup finals, received the accolade for his services to football and charity.

It marks the end of a long campaign to gain recognition for England's oldest surviving World Cup player.

"I won the FA cup, the league, played for England and have had a wonderful life, but the thing I cherish most is the fact that I have so many good friends," he said.

"People have been campaigning for this so long behind the scenes, and I am very grateful. The family kept it all secret from me, and when I was first told about it, I thought it was a joke.

"It is an absolutely tremendous honour."

As England's current stars prepare to take on the USA this evening, Bert recalled the day when he was part of the England team which lost to the United States 60 years ago in one of football's biggest World Cup shocks.

His advice to Fabio Capello's team is: "Don't go out and be too confident. Treat it as an extremely important match and don't think it's going to be a walkover."