The prestigious Contribution to League Football and Sir Tom Finney Award were issued at the EFL Awards 2025.
See the winners below:
Contribution to League Football
Legendary manager Neil Warnock was honoured for his services to the game on the night and presented with the EFL’s prestigious Contribution to League Football Award.
The 76-year-old holds the record for the most games managed in English professional football (1,602) and has a record eight promotions to his name.
Warnock is most well-known for his spell in charge of Sheffield United between 1999 and 2007, where he guided the Blades to promotion to the Premier League in 2006.
Warnock said: "I've worked hard for this award. It's been a long career - 45 years - and never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd last that long. Yeah, I've had my ups and downs, but overall, I've really enjoyed football.
"I try to make people enjoy it. I try to put smiles on the fan's faces, and I think I've done that.
"I am very much like a fan, and I think they appreciate that I say it how it is - cost me a few quid over the years, that.
"[The EFL] is just the best league in the world. How they do it year and year out, and the crowds they get... We're very lucky in England to have Clubs like this, and I've enjoyed every minute of it."
While he’s had many promotions, he’s also battled relegation, most recently saving Huddersfield Town from the drop back in 2023, his last managerial role in the English game. Each year, the EFL celebrates and recognises the career of someone who has shown outstanding commitment and dedication by presenting a Contribution to League Football Award. The Contribution to League Football Award is the EFL’s most prestigious award and is presented annually to an individual who has given a lifetime of service to the professional game, making a significant impact.
This award is the highest honour bestowed by the EFL Board, with highly respected people within the game who have made a significant contribution to the League over the years having previously claimed the accolade.
Sir Tom Finney Award
A renowned leader on and off the pitch, Curtis Davies’ career spanned over two decades, in which he recorded nearly 700 appearances across all competitions.
Davies made his debut in the EFL Trophy for Luton Town aged just 18 before playing an instrumental role in their promotion to the Championship the following season.
His most successful spell arguably came at Hull City, a side he joined in 2013. He led the Tigers out at Wembley as captain in the 2014 FA Cup Final and made more than 140 appearances across the top two tiers in Black and Amber.
His other most notable game for them came in the Championship Play-Off Final in 2016 as the East Yorkshire side secured a return to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
He now appears regularly as a pundit and co-commentator on Sky Sports’ coverage of the EFL.
Speaking on receiving the Sir Tom Finney award, Davies said: "I was a little bit choked up. I'm just humbled. I always went into football just wanting to be a footballer. I just wanted to do it as a job. You reach the heights of the Premier League, you get promotions, you get relegations, you experience the rollercoaster of football, but this is just a closure moment where my career has been recognised by people who know the game, and I'm thankful.
"[The EFL] is my grassroots. This is where I started. I made my name in a Luton Town side where I played alongside a lot of my mates who I grew up playing with, like Liam Barnett and Kev Foley, and we won the league together.
"Every step I've taken, I've always tried my very best. I've always embraced it and tried to keep learning. I just love the game, and I still love it now."
The Sir Tom Finney Award is given out by the EFL in recognition of player who has made an outstanding contribution to football and the League. To be eligible for the 2024 Award, players must have been retired ahead of the start of the 2023/24 season.
The award was renamed in honour of Preston North End and England legend, Sir Tom Finney, following his death in 2014. Sir Tom’s talent, loyalty and commitment marked him out as an exceptional player and model professional.
