SAINTS captain Steven Davis was made an MBE for his services to football by Prince William at Buckingham Palace.

The 32-year-old attended a ceremony at the palace today, where the Duke of Cambridge, the president of the Football Association, handed him the accolade.

He said to receive the MBE was an "honour that I will cherish".

"I think to get it in any given field is huge, and obviously to still be playing as well, it's unbelievable. It's nothing I ever expected, to be honest," he said.

During a professional career that has spanned more than 14 years, Davis has become one of the most capped players in Northern Irish history, and is set to make his 100th appearance in the World Cup play-offs in November.

Speaking ahead of the two-legged tie against Switzerland that will determine if the Northern Irish reach the final in Russia, Davis said: "It's going to be a difficult game but there's a lot of belief within the squad, and it's two games for us to get to the World Cup so we will be giving it our all."

Last summer, the midfielder captained his country to their first major tournament in more than 30 years at Euro 2016, where Michael O’Neill’s side impressively reached the second round.

After a recent World Cup qualifier win over Azerbaijan he clocked 95 games for the national team, joining David Healy as the third-highest capped Northern Ireland international ever.

Having also played for Aston Villa, Fulham and Scottish giants Rangers, Davis has been a lynchpin for Saints since his arrival in 2012, making 205 appearances in all competitions.

He has now been rewarded by being made an MBE for his contribution to the game.