Wayne Rooney, Patrick Vieira among latest inductees into Premier League Hall of Fame

In another landmark moment for the English Premier League (EPL), a couple of more football legends were inducted into the EPL Hall of Fame. Manchester United and Everton legend Wayne Rooney happens to be one of the latest inductees, alongside former Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira. The induction occurs based on exceptional skill and individual talent to have performed in the EPL since its inception in 1992.

Notably, Rooney and Vieira are the first inductees of this year. Six more legends are scheduled to join the HoF later, as public voting from the same is expected to open up later during the day to be selected from a 25-man list. It is the loftiest personal tribute given to a football legend to have graced the EPL.

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As for Rooney, he holds the record of being the second-highest goal-scorer in EPL history (208 goals in 491 matches) after Alan Shearer, while he also notched up 103 assists, which is the third-highest in the tournament to date. “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,” he was quoted as saying by the EPL.

On the other hand, Vieira was a monumental figure in Arsenal between 1996-2005. He scored 31 goals and came up with 34 assists in EPL games, winning the title in three instances. He was famous for his power, athleticism, tackling, accurate passing and finishing skills. He was also a part of ‘The Invincibles’ squad in 2003-04, during which Arsenal won the title under Arsene Wenger by staying unbeaten in the competition.

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The updated list of EPL HoF:
2021: Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.
2022: Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira