BARCELONA 1992 Olympic Games bronze medal winners Karen Brown and Mary Nevill have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to hockey by being named in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List.

Brown - who made 355 combined international appearances, putting her second on the all-time list of female British players - has been awarded an MBE for her services to hockey.

Across a career spanning from 1984-1999, Brown, formerly of Slough Hockey Club, played in three Olympic Games and five European championships - another British record - before becoming a vital member of the coaching set-up in 2005.

As assistant coach, She helped the women’s team to Olympic bronze in 2012 and European gold in 2015 as well as their famous victory at Rio 2016.

She also won two FIH Female Coach of the Year awards before stepping down from the role in 2017, although she continues to do fantastic work in a coach development capacity with GB Hockey.

Speaking on Twitter, Brown said: “Thank you to the hockey family, I feel honoured and quite chuffed!

“Thanks to my teammates, athletes, colleagues, friends and family that have supported me over the years.”

Mary Nevill - who was Brown’s captain when Great Britain’s women won their first ever Olympic medal in 1992 while both were part of the England side that won European gold the year before - has been awarded an OBE for services to sport and sports science.

Following her retirement she moved into academia, lecturing and researching at Loughborough University from 1989-2013 - specialising in the effects of maximal and high intensity exercise - as well as being Director of Hockey at the university for 15 years.

She was also the Director of the Institute of Youth Sport from 2001-2013 before taking on her current role as Head of Department of Sport Science at Nottingham Trent University.

Nevill has also coached the England U21s women’s squad while some of her other roles include being the Chair of the Sport and Performance Division and a Board Member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, while she was also a member of the UK Sports Council from 1998-2000.