Patrick Vieira and Wayne Rooney have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The duo have become the first two inductees of 2022.
Vieira played 307 times in the Premier League, winning the competition three times including as captain of the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team, who remain the only club to have won the title without losing a game.
Rooney is the Premier League’s all-time second-highest goalscorer with 208 goals for Manchester United and Everton, he also won the league five times at Old Trafford.
“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,” Rooney said.
“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.”
The duo have become the ninth and 10th players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as they join David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.
“Being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame is a fantastic achievement,” Vieira said.
To have my name around those players makes me proud and makes me realise how good I was
“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.
“It’s not 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.”
