Patrick Vieira and Wayne Rooney have become the latest players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.Vieira won three Premier League titles during his outstanding 11-season-long tenure at Arsenal and captained the ‘Invincibles’ to the title in 2003/04 when they did not lose a match.On the other hand, Rooney is the Premier League’s all-time second top scorer, with 208 goals for Manchester United – with whom he won five league titles – and Everton.Two players who combined talent and work-rate to become Premier League legends 🤩It is our pleasure to announce @WayneRooney and @OfficialVieira as the first two 2022 Inductees of the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/WYv4bfCsgU— Premier League (@premierleague) March 23, 2022 Rooney and Vieira are the ninth and 10th players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.The Frenchman scored 31 goals and provided 34 assists during 307 EPL appearances for Arsenal and Manchester City, where he spent one season before retiring in 2011.CRYSTAL PALACE – ARSENALThe 45-year-old, who currently manages Crystal Palace, said: “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.”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.”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.”One of the greatest central midfielders in Premier League history ✨Patrick Vieira was pivotal in @Arsenal’s three #PL title wins and led the club to an unbeaten season in 2003/04 with his combative elegance @OfficialVieira is the second 2022 Inductee to the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/8XjxkUC0ic— Premier League (@premierleague) March 23, 2022 The 36-year-old Rooney, who currently manages Championship side Derby County, 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.Two players who combined talent and work-rate to become Premier League legends 🤩It is our pleasure to announce @WayneRooney and @OfficialVieira as the first two 2022 Inductees of the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/WYv4bfCsgU— Premier League (@premierleague) March 23, 2022 “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.”
