Arise Sir Tyson Fury...? It should happen, but we know it won’t

Tyson Fury celebrates after a thrilling victory against Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas

Some might say it’s a crazy mixed-up world when a businessman with a chequered career, Sir Philip Green, possesses a knighthood when perhaps the greatest boxer this country has ever produced, Tyson Fury, will never trouble the administrators of the honours system.

I’m not for a moment going to try to defend Fury’s foibles. He has a number of times said and done the wrong thing, but who can say they’ve have gone through life without putting a foot wrong?

Instead I would like to concentrate on the Manchester born fighter’s attributes, and I just don’t mean in the squared circle.

Since turning pro in 2008, after an amateur career which saw him controversially denied a place at the Beijing Games earlier that year, he has remained undefeated, gone to Germany to defeat long-time champion Wladmir Klitschko, and then, after a well publicised battle with his own mental health, travelled to America and fought the world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, not once but three times, winning twice – and the first draw is seen by many as one of the biggest travesties in boxing history.

Tyson Fury connects with a stiff right hook during his heavyweight title clash with Deontay Wilder

But it’s actually not for his sporting achievements that I believe he deserves public recognition; it’s for his biggest fight and ultimate victory with his mental health. Less than four years ago, he was sitting in his car, contemplating taking his own life.

For anyone to come back from that dark place let alone achieve what he has in his chosen sport, as well as championing mental health care and actively helping others in similar dark places, the country should be marking these amazing achievements.

But they won’t. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

We can take the knee, wear rainbow laces, even have women officials doing an England game, but it all comes down to money. The Newcastle takeover by the Saudis has sullied the beautiful game further.

Their human rights record is conveniently forgotten as the EPL gets another foreign powerhouse with an open chequebook to further expand the brand around the globe.