View source for PFA Merit Award

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{multiple image
| footer = [[Fara Williams]] and [[Dean Lewington]] are the most recent honorees in 2024
| image1 = Fara Williams England Ladies v Montenegro 5 4 2014 377.jpg
| alt1 = Williams in 2014
| width1 = 200
| image2 = Lewington, Dean.jpg
| alt2 = Lewington in 2011
| width2 = 161
}}
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 [[1973–74 in English football|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 [[Fara Williams]] and [[Dean Lewington]].

==List of winners==
===1970s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Note
|-
| width="50px" rowspan="2"| [[1973–74 in English football|1974]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Bobby Charlton]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] || rowspan="2"| <small>'''First winners of the award'''</small>
|-
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Cliff Lloyd]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1974–75 in English football|1975]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Denis Law]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] || <small>'''First winner of the award from outside [[England]]'''</small>
|-
| width="50px"| [[1975–76 in English football|1976]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[George Eastham]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1976–77 in English football|1977]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jack Taylor (referee)|Jack Taylor]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] || 
|-
| width="50px"| [[1977–78 in English football|1978]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Bill Shankly]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1978–79 in English football|1979]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Tom Finney]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|}

===1980s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes
|-
| width="50px"| [[1979–80 in English football|1980]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Matt Busby]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1980–81 in English football|1981]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[John Trollope (footballer)|John Trollope]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1981–82 in English football|1982]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Joe Mercer]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1982–83 in English football|1983]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Bob Paisley]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1983–84 in English football|1984]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Bill Nicholson (footballer)|Bill Nicholson]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1984–85 in English football|1985]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ron Greenwood]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1985–86 in English football|1986]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[England national football team|England]] [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] [[1966 FIFA World Cup squads#England|squad]] [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1986–87 in English football|1987]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Stanley Matthews]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1987–88 in English football|1988]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Billy Bonds]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1988–89 in English football|1989]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Nat Lofthouse]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|}

===1990s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes
|-
| width="50px"| [[1989–90 in English football|1990]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Peter Shilton]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1990–91 in English football|1991]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Tommy Hutchison]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1991–92 in English football|1992]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Brian Clough]] [[OBE]]
|-
| width="50px" rowspan="2"| [[1992–93 in English football|1993]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] squad [[1967–68 European Cup|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"| [[1993–94 in English football|1994]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Billy Bingham]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1994–95 in English football|1995]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Gordon Strachan]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1995–96 in English football|1996]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Pelé]]  || <small>'''First winner of the award from outside [[Europe]]'''</small>
|-
| width="50px"| [[1996–97 in English football|1997]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Peter Beardsley]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1997–98 in English football|1998]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Steve Ogrizovic]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[1998–99 in English football|1999]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Tony Ford (footballer, born 1959)|Tony Ford]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|}

===2000s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes
|-
| width="50px"| [[1999–2000 in English football|2000]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Gary Mabbutt]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2000–01 in English football|2001]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jimmy Hill]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2001–02 in English football|2002]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|IRE}} [[Niall Quinn]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2002–03 in English football|2003]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Bobby Robson]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2003–04 in English football|2004]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Dario Gradi]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2004–05 in English football|2005]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|TRI}} [[Shaka Hislop]] [[Chaconia Medal|CM]] 
|-
| width="50px"| [[2005–06 in English football|2006]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|NIR}} [[George Best]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2006–07 in English football|2007]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] [[Alex Ferguson]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2007–08 in English football|2008]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jimmy Armfield]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
| width="50px"| [[2008–09 in English football|2009]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[John McDermott (English footballer)|John McDermott]]
|}

===2010s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year!!Winner(s)!! width="350px" |Notes
|-
| width="50px"| [[2009–10 in English football|2010]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|SAF}} [[Lucas Radebe]]
|-
| width="50px"|  [[2010–11 in English football|2011]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Howard Webb]]
|-
| width="50px"|  [[2011–12 in English football|2012]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Graham Alexander]]
|-
| width="50px"|  [[2012–13 in English football|2013]] || width"315px"  | [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] [[Fergie's Fledglings#The 1990s Fledglings|Class of '92]]
|-
| width="50px"|  [[2013–14 in English football|2014]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Donald Simpson Bell|Donald Bell]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]]
|-
| width="50px" rowspan=2|  [[2014–15 in English football|2015]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Steven Gerrard]] [[Order of the British Empire|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]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]<ref name="PFA merit 2015" />
|- 
| width="50px"|  [[2015–16 in English football|2016]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|WAL}} [[Ryan Giggs]] [[Order of the British Empire|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"|  [[2016–17 in English football|2017]] || width"315px"  | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[David Beckham]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
|-
|[[2017–18 in English football|2018]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Cyrille Regis]] [[Order of the British Empire|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>
|-
|[[2018–19 in English football|2019]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Steph Houghton]] [[Order of the British Empire|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"| [[2019–20 in English football|2020]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Marcus Rashford]] [[Order of the British Empire|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"| [[2020–21 in English football|2021]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Gordon Taylor (footballer)|Gordon Taylor]] [[Order of the British Empire|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"| [[2021–22 in English football|2022]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Roy Hodgson]] [[Order of the British Empire|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]] [[Order of the British Empire|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"| [[2022–23 in English football|2023]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Wright]] [[Order of the British Empire|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 (footballer)|Jill Scott]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]<ref name="2022Merit" />
|-
| rowspan=2 width="50px"| [[2023–24 in English football|2024]] || width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Dean Lewington]]
|-
| width="315px" | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Fara Williams]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|-
|}

==Breakdown of winners==
===Winners by country===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Country!!Number of wins
|- bgcolor=#FFF60F
| width="200px"| '''{{fb|England}}''' || width="25px"| '''37'''
|-
| {{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]]
[[Category:English women's football trophies and awards]]