Roger Alton’s highlights from a magical year in sport

We don’t half take a lot for granted. We may look up to the Aussies, kowtow to the Americans and look on in awe at the Chinese, but we’re not doing too badly ourselves. To judge from the papers, we’re a nation of fatties who when not pigging out on Pringles on the sofa are waddling down the high street looking for drugs. But it turns out we’re pretty good at sport: cricket World Cup winners, rugby World Cup finalists, women’s football World Cup semi-finalists. It was English teams who contested the Champions League final, after two mesmerising semis when Liverpool thumped Barcelona and Spurs defeated Ajax in the last seconds of added time.

At home, Liverpool continue to dazzle under a charismatic manager who has made the Kop his own. Meanwhile the England football team are poised for next year’s European Championships — a youthful, diverse outfit who play with great charm and skill and are managed by a man who is an excellent ambassador for the game and the country.