'Why We Want Kenny Knighthood'

Steve Rotheram has explained why he will be putting down an early motion requesting the Queen confer a knighthood on Kenny Dalglish.

Steve Rotheram has explained why he will be putting down an early motion requesting the Queen confer a knighthood on Kenny Dalglish.

The Liverpool MP made the announcement during a moving speech at Friday's Hillsborough Memorial Service at Anfield.

Mr. Rotheram believes Dalglish's role in supporting the families of those who died in the 1989 tragedy deserves recognition.

He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I spoke to the families and there are lots and lots of individuals who have helped them. Don't forget, it's a family support group, but they also need - and have had - support and comfort from different individuals over the years.

"One person who has been there from the very beginning, and is now back at the club as manager, is Kenny.

"Kenny and Marina were pivotal at the very beginning - the amount of funerals they went to and, if you remember, the toll it took on them as a couple.

"When I was speaking to some of the family members, they were saying it might be nice for Kenny to get some recognition for what he's done.

"One of the ways I can help that as a politician is by putting a motion down in the House of Commons asking for the Queen to confer a knighthood on Kenny Dalglish."

He added: "It's parliamentary recess next week, so I need to contact the Table Office and they will tell me the terms and the words I can use and basically we will put this down so hopefully other people can sign it - and I am sure we will get a lot of people who will.

"That support will go forward as a motion. There will be other mechanisms and online facilities for us, and we will use them to try and garner some further support and then we will put it forward to the authorities to see whether 'Sir' Kenny Dalglish is something the Queen would like to do in the future."

Mr. Rotheram admitted his announcement may have come as a bit of a shock to Dalglish.

He explained: "I haven't seen Kenny and he was unaware of any of this because the families and myself only discussed this last week.

"I think it would have come as a bit of a shock to him to be identified to be the recipient of quite a long lead during my speech!