{{Short description|Award given by the Professional Footballers' Association}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{multiple image | footer = Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes are the most recent honorees in 2025 | image1 = Gareth Southgate 2018 cropped.jpg | alt1 = Southgate in 2018 | width1 = 150 | image2 = Chelsea FC Women v Everton FC Women, 12 September 2021 (01) (cropped).jpg | alt2 = Hayes in 2021 | width2 = 175 }} The '''Professional Footballers' Association Merit Award''' (often called the '''PFA Merit Award''', or simply the '''Merit Award''') is an award given by the Professional Footballers' Association (the PFA) for meritorious service to football.<ref>[http://www.givemefootball.com/rolls_of_honour/meritroll.html PFA Merit Award 1974-2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215141356/http://www.givemefootball.com/rolls_of_honour/meritroll.html |date=15 December 2007 }}</ref>
The award was first given in 1974, and was won (jointly) by Bobby Charlton and Cliff Lloyd. The first woman to win the award was Steph Houghton in 2019. In 2022, the award was separated into two: women's and men's.
The most recent winners of the award are Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes.
==List of winners== ===1970s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Note |- | width="50px" rowspan="2"| 1974 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sir Bobby Charlton CBE, OBE || rowspan="2"| <small>'''First winners of the award'''</small> |- |{{flagicon|ENG}} Cliff Lloyd |- | width="50px"| 1975 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Denis Law CBE || <small>'''First winner of the award from outside England'''</small> |- | width="50px"| 1976 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} George Eastham OBE |- | width="50px"| 1977 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jack Taylor OBE || |- | width="50px"| 1978 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Bill Shankly OBE |- | width="50px"| 1979 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sir Tom Finney OBE |}
===1980s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes |- | width="50px"| 1980 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Sir Matt Busby OBE |- | width="50px"| 1981 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} John Trollope MBE |- | width="50px"| 1982 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Mercer OBE |- | width="50px"| 1983 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Bob Paisley OBE |- | width="50px"| 1984 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Bill Nicholson OBE |- | width="50px"| 1985 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Ron Greenwood CBE |- | width="50px"| 1986 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} England World Cup squad 1966 |- | width="50px"| 1987 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sir Stanley Matthews CBE |- | width="50px"| 1988 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Billy Bonds MBE |- | width="50px"| 1989 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Nat Lofthouse OBE |}
===1990s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes |- | width="50px"| 1990 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Shilton OBE |- | width="50px"| 1991 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Tommy Hutchison |- | width="50px"| 1992 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Brian Clough OBE |- | width="50px" rowspan="2"| 1993 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Manchester United European Cup squad 1968 || <small>{{flagicon|IRE}} Shay Brennan and {{flagicon|IRE}} Tony Dunne<br />'''Joint first winner of the award from outside Great Britain'''<br />'''Joint first winner of the award from outside the United Kingdom'''<br /></small> |- |{{flagicon|POR}} Eusébio || <small>'''Joint first winner of the award from outside Great Britain'''<br />'''Joint first winner of the award from outside the United Kingdom'''<br /></small> |- | width="50px"| 1994 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|NIR}} Billy Bingham MBE |- | width="50px"| 1995 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Gordon Strachan OBE |- | width="50px"| 1996 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|BRA}} Pelé || <small>'''First winner of the award from outside Europe'''</small> |- | width="50px"| 1997 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Beardsley MBE |- | width="50px"| 1998 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Steve Ogrizovic |- | width="50px"| 1999 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tony Ford MBE |}
===2000s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes |- | width="50px"| 2000 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Gary Mabbutt MBE |- | width="50px"| 2001 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jimmy Hill OBE |- | width="50px"| 2002 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|IRE}} Niall Quinn |- | width="50px"| 2003 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sir Bobby Robson CBE |- | width="50px"| 2004 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ITA}} Dario Gradi MBE |- | width="50px"| 2005 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|TRI}} Shaka Hislop CM |- | width="50px"| 2006 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|NIR}} George Best |- | width="50px"| 2007 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Sir Alex Ferguson CBE |- | width="50px"| 2008 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jimmy Armfield OBE |- | width="50px"| 2009 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} John McDermott |}
===2010s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes |- | width="50px"| 2010 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SAF}} Lucas Radebe |- | width="50px"| 2011 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Howard Webb |- | width="50px"| 2012 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} Graham Alexander |- | width="50px"| 2013 || width"315px" | Manchester United Class of '92 |- | width="50px"| 2014 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Donald Bell VC |- | width="50px" rowspan=2| 2015 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Steven Gerrard MBE<ref name="PFA merit 2015">{{cite web |title=Gerrard & Lampard share PFA Merit Award |url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2015/04/26/11170022/gerrard-lampard-share-pfa-merit-award?ICID=AR_RS_1|publisher=Goal.com |date=26 April 2015 |accessdate=26 April 2015}}</ref> |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} Frank Lampard OBE<ref name="PFA merit 2015" /> |- | width="50px"| 2016 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|WAL}} Ryan Giggs OBE<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepfa.com/news/2016/4/24/ryan-giggs-wins-pfa-merit-award|title=Ryan Giggs wins PFA Merit award|last=Sports|first=PA|website=thepfa.com|access-date=2016-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509131547/https://www.thepfa.com/news/2016/4/24/ryan-giggs-wins-pfa-merit-award|archive-date=9 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | width="50px"| 2017 || width"315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} David Beckham OBE |- |2018 |{{flagicon|ENG}} Cyrille Regis MBE<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepfa.com/thepfa/pfaawards/pfa-merit-award-winner-cyrille-regis|title=PFA Merit Award winner Cyrille Regis|website=thepfa.com|language=en|access-date=2018-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013532/https://www.thepfa.com/thepfa/pfaawards/pfa-merit-award-winner-cyrille-regis|archive-date=9 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |2019 |{{flagicon|ENG}} Steph Houghton MBE<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepfa.com:443/news/2019/4/28/pfa-merit-award-winner-steph-houghton|title=PFA Merit Award winner Steph Houghton|website=thepfa.com|language=en|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref> | First female to receive award. |}
===2020s=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes |- | width="50px"| 2020 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Marcus Rashford MBE<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-striker-marcus-rashford-recognised-with-pfa-merit-award|title=Rashford wins PFA Award|website=manutd.com |publisher=Manchester United|date=8 September 2020 |accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref> |- | width="50px"| 2021 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Gordon Taylor OBE<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/news/gordon-taylor-receives-pfa-merit-award-for-his-services-to-football_450441.html|title=Gordon Taylor receives PFA merit award for his services to football|website=sportsmole.co.uk|publisher=Sports Mole|date=6 June 2021|accessdate=7 June 2021}}</ref> |- | rowspan=2 width="50px"| 2022 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Roy Hodgson CBE<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thepfa.com/news/2022/6/9/pfa-awards-merit-award-roy-hodgson|title=Roy Hodgson wins PFA Merit Award|publisher=PFA|date=9 June 2021|accessdate=30 August 2023}}</ref> |- | width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Hope Powell OBE<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thepfa.com/news/2022/6/9/pfa-awards-merit-award-hope-powell|title=Hope Powell wins PFA Merit Award|publisher=PFA|date=9 June 2021|accessdate=30 August 2023}}</ref> || First time men's and women's PFA Merit awards were separated |- | rowspan=2 width="50px"| 2023 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Ian Wright OBE<ref name="2022Merit">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/30/rachel-daly-and-erling-haaland-win-pfa-player-of-the-year-awards|title=Rachel Daly and Erling Haaland win PFA player of the year awards|website=The Guardian|date=29 August 2023|accessdate=30 August 2023}}</ref> |- | width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jill Scott MBE<ref name="2022Merit" /> |- | rowspan=2 width="50px"| 2024 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Dean Lewington |- | width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Fara Williams MBE |- | rowspan=2 width="50px"| 2025 || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Sir Gareth Southgate OBE |- | width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} Emma Hayes OBE |- |}
==Breakdown of winners== ===Winners by country=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Country!!Number of wins |- bgcolor=#FFF60F | width="200px"| '''{{fb|England}}''' || width="25px"| '''39''' |- | {{fb|Scotland}} || 7 |- | {{fb|Northern Ireland}} || 2 |- | {{fb|Trinidad and Tobago}} || rowspan="7" | 1 |- | {{fb|Italy}} |- | {{fb|Republic of Ireland}} |- | {{fb|Brazil}} |- | {{fb|Portugal}} |- | {{fb|South Africa}} |- | {{fb|Wales}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.thepfa.com/ The Official Website of the Professional Footballer's Association]
{{English football awards}}
Category:English football trophies and awards Category:Awards established in 1974