Picture Credit: Twitter
England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan was awarded the Freedom of the City of London on Wednesday. The Dublin-born cricketer led the English teams in their first World Cup-winning campaign in 2019. Morgan also played for the London - based of Middlesex throughout the entirety of his first-class career.
The 35-year-old has played over 350 international games across all three formats while scoring 10,859 runs. Morgan was elated after receiving this honour and said, “I am thrilled and immensely proud to receive this recognition.”
“Leading England to its first-ever one day World Cup win was my dream but cricket isn’t just about showcase events like this. It’s about nurturing and realising many dreams. This involves encouraging and empowering communities to participate. Cricket is a wonderful sport for everyone to enjoy,” he further added.
Freedom of the City of London is originally awarded to individuals who have achieved success, recognition or celebrity in their chosen field. This recognition was first given to William Pitt the Elder in 1757, who was one of the leaders in the Seven Years' War. Other Cricketers to receive this honour are former England captains Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook.
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said: “We are delighted to have awarded the Freedom of the City to Eoin. His contribution to cricket has been extraordinary and unique and it is fitting that it is recognised in this way.”
“Sport plays a vital role in bringing together communities and enhancing physical and mental health. It is key to the capital coming together again as it recovers from Covid, bringing back optimism and energy.”
Recently England played an away five-game T20 series against the West Indies where they lost 3-2. Morgan had a mellow performance as he scored only 17 and 13 in the first T20s before being out of the playing eleven because of a right thigh muscle injury that prevent him from playing further games. The injury was caused during the pre-match warm-up and has been declared relatively minor.