Sir Kenny Dalglish has received the 2026 PFA Merit Award for a glittering career in football combined with his contributions to wider society. The 75-year-old Glaswegian, alongside Karen Carney, received the prestigious honour on Tuesday morning, joining a long list of other footballing legends.
A career spanning player and manager
First awarded to Sir Bobby Charlton and Cliff Lloyd in 1974, the PFA Merit Award celebrates a person's meritorious service to football, both during and after their playing days. Split into a male and female section in 2022, Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes were last year's recipients.
The epitome of a legend of the game, Dalglish is one of football's most celebrated talents both as a player and a manager. His playing career, which spanned between 1969 and 1990, saw him represent just two clubs in Celtic and Liverpool.
Record-breaking honours
Dalglish managed four league titles in Scotland, as well as five domestic titles. Having made the move to Anfield in 1977, his career reached new heights. Dalglish secured six league titles and three European Cups with the Reds, on top of receiving PFA Players' Player of the Year honours for a standout 1982-83 campaign. He also finished as the runner-up in the race to the Ballon d'Or that year, with Juventus' Michel Platini kickstarting an emphatic run of three consecutive trophies.
On the international stage, Dalglish is still Scotland's most-capped player, running out a total of 102 times for the Tartan Army. Fellow Liverpool legend Andy Robertson is closing in on that feat, however, tailing Dalglish by just five caps. A tally of 30 international goals also sees Dalglish tied with Dennis Law as the nation's leading goalscorer.
Legacy beyond the pitch
After becoming player/manager for Liverpool in 1985, he led the club to a league title and FA Cup double in his maiden season. He won two further First Division titles before making the switch to Blackburn Rovers in 1991, guiding the Lancashire-based side to their first and only Premier League title in 1994/95 against all odds. Dalglish also managed Newcastle United and Celtic, before returning to Anfield for one last spell with the Reds between 2011 and 2012.
However, Dalglish has also contributed greatly to society away from the pitch and dugout. After the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, Dalglish played a massive role in consoling bereaved families and the community. His contribution for that was formally recognised in 2017, when the Centenary Stand of Anfield was renamed in his honour.
Charity work and recognition
In 2005, Dalglish and his wife, Lady Marina Dalglish, also established the Marina Dalglish Appeal. It followed Marina's treatment for breast cancer. The organisation has since gone on to raise millions of pounds to support cancer care and improve facilities and treatment across the region. Most recently, Dalglish was present at Liverpool's Premier League opener with Newcastle on Sunday, laying a wreath in Tyneside's memorial gardens as both clubs paid tribute to the late Kevin Keegan.
Carney, who is also receiving the PFA Merit Award, also has a memorable career to celebrate. The 39-year-old enjoyed an 18-year playing career among Birmingham City, Arsenal, Chicago Red Stars and Chelsea, as well as making 144 appearances for England. Carney also clinched a bronze medal for her part in the 2015 Women's World Cup, as well as representing Team GB at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In the years since her retirement in 2019, Carney has gone on to establish herself as a leading football broadcaster and pundit.
She was also appointed by the UK Government to chair an independent review into the future of women's football on a domestic scale. That review was published in 2023, and made 10 strategic recommendations for improvement, all of which were accepted by the Government. Carney was awarded an MBE in 2017, before receiving an OBE in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours for her services to association football. The 39-year-old also became an investor in Birmingham City Women earlier this year.
