Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at The Mirror’s Pride of Sport Awards tonight.

The Scotsman was given the prestigious award because of his community work after the Hillsborough disaster, as well as raising millions in the fight against cancer.

With 26 major honours, including 13 league titles and three European Cups as a player and manager with Celtic, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers, Sir Kenny Dalglish’s place in football’s pantheon is assured.

But the leadership and compassion he displayed in Liverpool’s darkest hour transcends sport.

He did that by organising hospital visits to the injured, spending time with bereaved families and making sure Liverpool were represented at every single funeral, attending many himself and as the families embarked on their long quest for justice, he was at their side.

Away from football, he has raised millions of pounds for the Marina Dalglish Appeal charity, after his wife successfully fought breast cancer in 2004.

Other sporting legends who attended the event included Dina Asher-Smith, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sam Quek as well as fellow Liverpool icons Graeme Souness and John Barnes.

The award comes a night after Liverpool’s 5-2 defeat over Everton in the Merseyside derby.

The event, supported by TSB, was the sixth in the history of the event that aims to celebrate the unsung heroes of grassroots sport and some elite competitors that inspire them.

Debbie Crosbie, Chief Executive Officer, TSB said: “At TSB we’re very proud of our partnership with Pride of Sport. The Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate incredible people who harness the power of sport in their local communities to achieve extraordinary things.”

The ceremony took place at the Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane and was streamed live on Facebook.

Picture by wekkuzipp under Creative Commons License

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