PICTURE SPECIAL: Mail Sport's Jeff Powell always shoulder to shoulder with sporting greats as our legendary sportswriter receives an MBE
- Mail Sport's legendary sportswriter Jeff Powell has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List
- Powell has received the honour for services to journalism in recognition of contribution in his 57 year career
- Mail Sport pays tribute with a picture special featuring sporting greats he has encountered in his career
Sporting giants have lined up to pay their tributes to Jeff Powell after Mail Sport's legendary writer was awarded an MBE for services to journalism in the New Year's Honours.
Powell has rubbed shoulders with legends throughout his illustrious career, including Bobby Moore, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.
Mail Sport's Jonathan McEvoy has also hailed Powell as an inspiration, reflecting on a career that has included countless exclusive stories and peerless writing from venues across the globe.
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at some of the best pictures from Powell's 57-year career in journalism.
![Keeping the pace: Jeff Powell (centre) goes for a run with Audley Harrison (left) in Big Bear Mountain in California in 2010](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449989-12911057-image-a-28_1703888589239.jpg)
Keeping the pace: Jeff Powell (centre) goes for a run with Audley Harrison (left) in Big Bear Mountain in California in 2010
![Exclusive: Jeff lands the first interview with Don Revie in Dubai in 1978 after he quit the England job to take over the UAE. It was an agenda-setting exclusive that remains one of the finest in British sports journalism history](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449991-12911057-image-a-29_1703888605218.jpg)
Exclusive: Jeff lands the first interview with Don Revie in Dubai in 1978 after he quit the England job to take over the UAE. It was an agenda-setting exclusive that remains one of the finest in British sports journalism history
![Jeff speaks with former world champion David Haye, who has praised his understanding of the sport and rapport with athletes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449993-12911057-image-a-30_1703888612320.jpg)
Jeff speaks with former world champion David Haye, who has praised his understanding of the sport and rapport with athletes
![Heart of the action: Jeff, far right, on the bench in the Fulham dugout for the 1975 FA Cup final against West Ham at Wembley](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449995-12911057-image-a-31_1703888618064.jpg)
Heart of the action: Jeff, far right, on the bench in the Fulham dugout for the 1975 FA Cup final against West Ham at Wembley
![Dear friends: Jeff in stands with his great mate, the late Terry Venables in 1989, who he helped become manager of Barcelona](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449997-12911057-image-a-32_1703888623427.jpg)
Dear friends: Jeff in stands with his great mate, the late Terry Venables in 1989, who he helped become manager of Barcelona
![Ukraine's legendary heavyweight boxing stars Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko pose alongside Jeff during a 2011 interview](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79449999-12911057-image-a-33_1703888628723.jpg)
Ukraine's legendary heavyweight boxing stars Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko pose alongside Jeff during a 2011 interview
![Jeff grills former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter in a 2014 interview on the debate surrounding the World Cups in Qatar and Russia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79450001-12911057-image-a-34_1703888634469.jpg)
Jeff grills former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter in a 2014 interview on the debate surrounding the World Cups in Qatar and Russia
![Along for the ride: Jeff on the back of Nicky Lee at Doncaster as Mail Sport's reporter spent a day learning how to be a jockey](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79450003-12911057-image-a-35_1703888640645.jpg)
Along for the ride: Jeff on the back of Nicky Lee at Doncaster as Mail Sport's reporter spent a day learning how to be a jockey
![Jeff experienced the downside of life as a jockey, pictured after falling off Nicky Lee and ending up on his back on the turf](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/29/22/79450009-12911057-image-a-36_1703888648826.jpg)
Jeff experienced the downside of life as a jockey, pictured after falling off Nicky Lee and ending up on his back on the turf