(Football news) Former Manchester United and Arsenal legends got inducted into the Premier League Hall of fame as they join the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham in this prestigious list. Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira were inducted on the basis of their exceptional skill and individual talent to have performed in the EPL since its inception in 1992. Six more legends are scheduled to join the Hall of fame as public voting is expected to open up to select 6 legends from the 25-man list.
Rooney, who’s the current manager of Derby County holds the record of being the second-highest goal-scorer in Premier League history (208 goals in 491 matches) after Alan Shearer, while he also notched up 103 assists, which is the third-highest in Premier League history. “Wazza” won five Premier League titles and he won the 2009-10 PFA Player of the Season award and is the record goalscorer for England as well, making him a legend of this game. For many people he is Manchester United's greatest ever talent to ever wear that famous red jersey, having joined from Everton for £20 million in 2004. Rooney broke onto the scene with a famous goal against Arsenal in 2002 and never looked back as he continued to break all records and showed the world why he was one of the best players in an era which was dominated by Messi and Ronaldo.
“It’s a huge honour for me to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside an incredible group of players who have already been inducted,” he was quoted as saying by the EPL.
"Growing up, I watched the Premier League as far back as I can remember. My dream was always to become a professional footballer, score goals, and win trophies, and I was lucky enough to win the Premier League five times.
"I have so many brilliant memories from my years playing for Everton and Manchester United, and I'm really proud of what we achieved. To enter the Hall of Fame is very special for me personally and I'm grateful to be recognised."
On the other hand, Vieira was a monumental figure for Arsenal between 1996-2005. He scored 31 goals and came up with 34 assists in EPL games, winning the title in three instances. His power, athleticism, tackling, accurate passing and finishing skills will never be matched as he was not a great player but a brilliant leader also. He was also a part of ‘The Invincibles’ squad in 2003-04, during which Arsenal won the title under Arsene Wenger by staying unbeaten in the competition.
Vieira joined Arsenal from AC Milan in 1996 and he went on to help Arsenal to win their first Premier League in 1997/98 in only his second season at the club. The midfielder was named Premier League Player of the Season in 2000/01 and then went to win the 2001/02 and 2003/04 titles alongside team-mates Henry and Bergkamp, who have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Currently serving as manager of Crystal Palace, Vieira is exceeding everyone's expectations and proving to the world that not only was he a great player but now is set out on becoming a world class manager as well.
The 45 year old said after being inducted into the HoF "Being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame is a fantastic achievement. When I received the news, I thought about being a young boy playing in Senegal, or in a suburb of Paris. To be there with the best players in the Premier League, the best league in the world, is bigger than what I was ever thinking about. To have my name around those players makes me proud and makes me realise how good I was.
He added, "It's not a bad company to join. I was lucky to play at the same time as some of them, of course including Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. So to share the stage with them makes me realise I had a really good career. What really makes me happy and proud is when your name is mentioned by new, up-and-coming holding midfielders as an example of how they would like to play."
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