Courtesy: Premier League
The Premier League Hall of Fame “recognizes and honors former players with an exceptional record of on-field success and have made significant contributions to the League since its inception in 1992.” Players must have retired by August 1, 2020, to be eligible for induction.
David Beckham and Steven Gerrard are the latest former players to be added to the Premier League Hall of Fame. Former England captains made over 750 Premier League appearances between them; Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, and Dennis Bergkamp already inducted.
Here is a brief on each players’ achievements:
Alan Shearer: He is the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, with 260 goals in 14 Premier League seasons with Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. The former England international, who won the Premier League title with Blackburn in 1994-95, is the only player in Premier League history to have scored 100 goals for two different clubs.
Henry: Henry, a former France international, set a club record with 175 Premier League goals in 258 games for Arsenal. He won the league title twice and was a key member of the “Invincibles” team that went undefeated in 2003-04. In 2002-03, he also set a new record with 20 assists.
Cantona: Cantona played a key role in United’s dominance of the Premier League in the 1990s under Sir Alex Ferguson, scoring 70 goals in 156 league appearances and winning the title four times in five seasons.
Keane: From 1993 to 2005, Keane appeared in 366 Premier League games for United, winning seven league titles. Keane quickly established himself as a leader within Ferguson’s squad, eventually succeeding Cantona as club captain in 1997. He scored 39 Premier League goals and provided 33 assists from midfield.
Lampard: A three-time Premier League winner who played for Chelsea, West Ham, and Manchester City, scored 177 goals in 609 games, a record for a midfielder. Lampard began his career at West Ham before joining Chelsea in 2001, where he won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06, as well as again in 2009-10. In addition, he was named Premier League Player of the Season in 2004-05.
Dennis Bergkamp: The former Arsenal forward, has also won three Premier League titles. The Dutchman’s direct involvement in 181 Arsenal goals (87 goals and 94 assists) is second only to Henry’s 249.
Gerrard: He made 710 appearances for Liverpool, winning nine major trophies, including the Champions League. The former midfielder is the only Liverpool player on the list and the first inductee who has not won a Premier League title.