The Fulham goalkeeper has been handed the honour for service to football, particularly as an international representative player, and to the community.

Schwarzer was granted the title as part of the Australian Day honours list.

He is absolutely thrilled and admits the honour came as a complete surprise.

Schwarzer told Fulham's official website: "I was very, very surprised and obviously very honoured.

"It was totally out of the blue and something that has taken time to sink in really, it still hasn't sunk in. I think it's pretty amazing, an amazing honour."

As well as being acknowledged for his football service, the player's work outside the game was also recognised.

Schwarzer is a representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, with the support of his wife, Paloma.

He said: "She was born and lived the first four years of her life in Manila in the Philippines and obviously there's extreme poverty there.

"We went and visited a refugee camp in Thailand and there were a lot of kids involved, being parents ourselves, it's close to your heart."