PATRICK VIEIRA AND WAYNE ROONEY GET INDUCTED INTO THE PREMIER LEAGUE HALL OF FAME
Arsenal and Manchester United legends, Patrick Vieira and Wayne Rooney were inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame on Wednesday, March 23rd. The pair join Premier League greats Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham as the Class of 2022 inductees. Vieira and Rooney are current managers in English football with Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Derby County in the Championship respectively.
The English Premier League inaugurated the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be delayed for a year. The Hall of Fame is intended to recognize and honor players that have achieved great success and made a significant contribution to the league since it began in 1992. Eight players are usually inducted every year.
Patrick Vieira had a 9-year stint in the Premier League and established himself as one of the most dominant midfielders in Premier League history, making 307 appearances and scoring 31 goals. He also racked up 34 assists during that period and won the Premier League title 3 times.
Vieira was the first player in Premier League history to be named to the Premier League PFA Team of The Year in six consecutive seasons. He was named to the PFA Team of the Year from 1999 to 2004 and captained the Invincibles Arsenal team that won the Premier League without losing a single game in 2004. He was also voted the Premier League Player of the Season during the 2000/2001 season. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, and Thierry Henry have been voted Premier League Player of the Season more than once.
Wayne Rooney only retired from playing football a year ago and is the youngest inductee in the Premier League Hall of Fame at just 36 years old. One of the most decorated players in English football, Wayne Rooney is Manchester United’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League and all competitions. He is also England’s all-time top scorer with 53 goals.
Rooney made 491 Premier League appearances, scored 208 goals, and registered 103 assists. He won 5 Premier League trophies with Manchester United after bursting on the Premier League scene with boyhood club Everton. He was voted the Premier League Player of the Month five times and was the Premier League Player of the Season in the 2009/2010 season. Rooney is second on the list of all-time top goalscorers, after Alan Shearer, and is third on the list of assists, after Cesc Fabregas and Ryan Giggs.
Both Vieira and Rooney are still in the early years of their managerial careers but are greatly deserving of the honors. Speaking on the induction, Vieira 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 realize 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 realize 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.”
Rooney quipped, “It’s a huge honor 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. To enter the Hall of Fame is very special for me personally and I’m grateful to be recognized.”
Fans will once again be invited to vote for the next six inductees in this year’s class, as was the case last season, and will have 25 nominees to pick from. The inductees will be announced later in April and fans can vote on the Premier League’s website and app. The inductees do not get a gold jacket -as is the norm in American sports- but medallions and the Premier League will donate £10,000 to a charity of their choice.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero