Rio Ferdinand has named Kevin De Bruyne as the current Premier League player who should be inducted into the league's Hall of Fame.
The Manchester United legend was inducted on Wednesday. Two more players will be announced later in the day to join the likes of Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Peter Schmeichel, David Beckham and Eric Cantona. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger recently became the first managers to be included since the awards were launched in 2021.
There are 15 nominees for the 2023 shortlist, made of Premier League icons who have all finished their careers. In a Q&A session, Ferdinand picked Manchester City star De Bruyne as his number one choice out of those still playing today, considering his trophy haul and individual honours.
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"Kevin De Bruyne. He’s the quickest to 100 assists," Ferdinand explained. "For that reason alone, he deserves to be in there.
"As a player, what a wonderful footballer! Won multiple trophies but has been integral to all of those trophies as well."
De Bruyne has already helped City to four top-flight trophies and Pep Guaridola's men are well set to add another this season. They trail Arsenal by two points in the title raise but hold two matches in hand over the Gunners.
The Belgian has been imperious again this season and could break his own record of 20 Premier League assists in a single season, held alongside Thierry Henry. Across his eight-year spell at the Etihad Stadium, he's racked up 239 league appearances, scoring 64 goals and registering 102 assists.
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