The Professional Footballers' Association
Merit Award, established in 1974, recognises outstanding achievement or
service in football.
As of 2009, the award had been made
36 times, and 13 England players--two of whom also served as England manager
(Joe Mercer and Bobby Robson)--had won the award. In addition,
the award went to England's 1966 World Cup squad in 1986 and to Manchester United's 1968 European Cup squad, which included several England players, in
1993. In 1985 it went to former England manager Ron Greenwood, who never
won an England cap. In 2008, former captain, Jimmy Armfield, was
merited.