Kerry Davis receives MBE

Former Lioness Kerry Davis received her MBE today at Windsor Castle.

England women’s first Black international was honoured for her services to football and diversity in sport, named in the King’s New Year Honours list for 2026.

During her international career, she scored 43 goals in 90 appearances, making her debut in September 1982 in a 7-1 win over Northern Ireland at Crewe Alexandra’s Gresty Road.

The Stoke-on-Trent-born striker was formerly the Lionesses’ all-time top goalscorer before Kelly Smith set a new record in in 2012.

Kerry represented England at major tournaments, featuring at the European Championships in 1984 – reaching the final and finishing as runners-up – and again in 1987 and 1995, along with the 1995 Women’s World Cup.

She was also a part of England’s 1985 Mundialito-winning campaign, also known as the ‘little World Cup’ – a global invitational tournament.

At club level, she played for Crewe before moving to Italy, spending four years on the books of ROI Lazio, Trani and Napoli, playing semi-professional football in the Serie A Femminile.

She returned to England to re-sign for Crewe, also going on to play for Liverpool and Croydon, achieving league and Women’s FA Cup double with the latter in 1995-96.

Kerry eventually hung up her boots in May 2001, calling time on a trailblazing career.