March 23, (THEWILL) – Wayne Rooney of Manchester United and Patrick Vieira of Arsenal, were welcomed into the English Premier League Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
The pair join David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, and Alan Shearer as ninth and tenth members of the select group.
Rooney, who is presently the manager of Derby County in the Championship, is the second-highest goal scorer in Premier League history, with 208 goals for Manchester United and Everton.
Speaking of the honour, the 36-year-old former forward said: “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.
“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.”
Vieira, who is now also a manager at Crystal Palace, played 307 times in the Premier League, winning it three times, notably as captain of the Arsenal “Invincibles” the only team to win the title without losing a game.
The French World Cup winner, who finished his playing career at Manchester City was pleased to be so recognised: “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,” the 45-year-old added.
The English Premier League Hall of Fame honours the best players who have graced the league since its inception in 1992.
Rooney and Vieira are the first two 2022 inductees, with a public vote set to begin on Wednesday to choose another six from a shortlist of 25 former players.
The Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, said: “Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira are two of the finest players to have played in their respective positions and are worthy additions to the eight players who entered the Hall of Fame last year.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
