West Ham United chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have led the tributes to Tony Carr on the achievement of being made an MBE.
The Academy Director has been recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list published on Saturday morning. It is fitting reward for 37 years of service, not just to West Ham United but also to English football in general with consideration of the vast number of players who have come through the Academy to represent the country.
Mr Sullivan said: "My congratulations go to Tony. If there is a person who really deserves to be honoured like this, it is him. He has given his life to football and to West Ham United.
"It is nice to see football being rewarded. It is so often overlooked with so many awards going to civil servants or pop stars. Tony has given so much to this club and I know our fans will be delighted with this news."
Mr Gold said: "I can't tell you how thrilled I am. It is so rare that people working quietly in the background get honoured in football. Here is a proper gentleman of football who has done an amazing job over nearly 40 years and rightly he has been honoured.
"It is richly deserved. The mere fact that we could win the World Cup with a third of the squad having come through the Academy under him says everything about the work he has done for football in this country."