Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira are the latest legends to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The pair join the likes of Eric Cantona, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer, Roy Keane and Dennis Bergkamp in the Premier League ’s list of the greatest players to have graced the competition. Rooney and Viera were inducted into the hall of fame through a public vote, with fans recognising their history-making contribution.
Rooney is the League’s second highest scorer since it was created in 1992, and won the title five times, along with the player of the year award in 2009/10, and goal of the season in both 2004/05 and 2010/11. The award is the domestic League’s highest individual honour, and the former Everton and Manchester United star admitted it was a dream since he was a kid, watching his heroes.
“It's a huge honour and very special for me to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside an incredible group of players,” he said. "Growing up, I watched the Premier League as far back as I can remember. My dream was always to become a professional footballer, and 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 was part of the Arsenal Invincibles side which won the title in 2003/04, and lifted the trophy three times in total, along with the award for Player of the Season in 2000/01 - and he explained it was about time he joined his team-mates Bergkamp and Thierry Henry in the Hall of Fame!
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“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,” he said.
“It’s 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.”
