Prince William has said giving Sir Kevin Sinfield his knighthood is "probably one of the easiest decisions anyone's ever had to make".
The future King has appeared in an exclusive interview with BBC Breakfast to share his personal admiration for Sir Kevin, who recently completed seven ultra marathons in seven days.
Sir Kevin took part in the extreme endurance challenge to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charities following the death of his best friend and former rugby teammate, Rob Burrow from the condition in 2024.
"I think frankly he should have been Sir Kevin years ago," said Prince William.
"What Kevin does, is he can bind and glue communities together by being that leader. The more Kevs we have in this country the better."
Speaking about Sir Kevin's extraordinary physical challenges, he added: "I don't know how he keeps going, I'm worried about his knees, I'm worried about his hips. The guy is just a machine.
"He's a top bloke, really nice guy, good, honest, kind, decent northerner and I love that about Kevin, that there is no ego with him. He is what you get."
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesSir Kevin supported Rob and his family through the difficult progression of the disease, becoming an important fundraiser for the MND community.
"That lack of ego is really important in a world that everyone wants to show how amazing they all are… Kevin does it very quietly very subtly," William added.
"It's a proper way of caring. It's not caring for the sake of it, it's deep caring. That lack of ego. Kevin does it quietly, very subtly, and doesn't want to be the centre of attention - but ultimately he has a huge impact."
Prince William also told BBC Breakfast about writing to Rob Burrow's wife, Lindsey, and children, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, after Rob's death and said he was in awe of how Lindsey had coped with such quiet dignity.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesHe wrote the letter as a member of the Royal Family - but also as someone who understood the pain of losing a parent.
"Everyone grieves differently and every circumstance is different so you need to take your time over it," he said. "It's always better to say something around grief than it is to ignore it."
Sir Kevin, who has raised millions for charity, received a knighthood for his services to the MND community, as well as for services to league and union rugby, earlier this month.
The Prince and Princess of Wales recently surprised Sir Kevin in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as he completed the third day of his final 7 in 7 running challenges. The challenge involved completing an ultra-marathon every day for seven days.
© Getty ImagesSir Kevin previously said that William has been "fantastically supportive".
He told the Press Association: "I think he champions pulling communities together and I have seen how the MND community have come together on the back of Rob's diagnosis and several other high-profile sportspeople over the last six or seven years.
"So, his support and, obviously, Princess Catherine's as well, they've been wonderful and bring a real credibility to what we're trying to do."
© Getty ImagesIn November, Prince William officially opened the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds alongside the Burrow family.
The facility is dedicated to medical and holistic patient care as well as research into the condition. It was a deeply moving day for everyone there.
"It was very emotional actually and, for me, doing personal, emotional work is more fulfilling," William said.
"For Lindsey, Rob and the family to ask me to come up and open the centre was not only very personally rewarding for me but really important that that circle was closed, and I really wanted to honour that."
You can watch Prince William's full interview in Thank You Sir Kev, which will air on Monday 26 October on BBC One at 20:00.
