The Premier League Hall of Fame recognises and honours former players who have had exceptional careers and demonstrated incredible contributions to the competition. American sports, such as basketball, baseball, and the NFL boasting a similar structure.
It’s reserved for the very best and only inducts players who are already retired. Players are voted in throughout the year. In 2022, eight players will join the elite group, with Wayne Rooney and Patrick Viera the first two to be confirmed.
Below, Praizsports will outline the Hall of Fame process, how it works, and who’s already been inducted.
The Premier League Hall of Fame honours and celebrates the very best who have played in the competition.
Individuals will be awarded with a membership to the Premier League Hall of Fame, set to recognise the true greats of English top-flight football.
Only players who were retired as of August 1 2020 are eligible for the Hall of Fame, and only their career in the English Premier League will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
Each Hall of Fame inductee receives a personalised medal engraved with their induction year.
In 2021, the Premier League announced the first two players to be added to the Hall of Fame, alongside a shortlist of nominees. Fans were also able to vote for their preferred candidates.
In an official statement, the Premier League said: “Membership of the Hall of Fame will be the highest individual honour awarded to players by the League.”
League chief, Richard Masters added: “Since 1992, the Premier League has been home to world-class players who have defined generations and provided us with compelling football season after season.
“A place in the English Premier League Hall of Fame is reserved for the very best. It will be an occasion for our fans around the world to look back over the years and help us celebrate some truly exceptional playing careers.”
Who’s in the Premier League Hall of Fame
So far, the Hall of Fame houses 10 Premier League legends, with Patrick Viera and Wayne Rooney the first of eight to be inducted this year.
- Patrick Vieira came to the Premier League a relative unknown but left having redefined the role of a central midfielder. The Frenchman provided a rare combination of power, aggression and skill at the heart of an Arsenal midfield that won three Premier League titles.
- After announcing himself on the English stage and global stage with a sensational first goal for boyhood club Everton against Arsenal, Wayne Rooney lived up to that promise by becoming one of the competition’s greatest ever forwards.
The first two players to be selected were Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry. Shearer is the Premier League’s top goal scorer with 265 goals, whilst Henry was a two-time PL champion, 4x Golden Boot winner, and considered the best player to have played in the Premier League.
After that, Manchester United’s Eric Cantona was joined by Dennis Bergkamp as overseas additions, whilst the English trio of Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard were joined by Ireland’s Roy Keane to cap off a highly prestigious lineup.
Players likely to be added in the near future could include Chelsea’s John Terry, Ashley Cole, and Diddier Drogba, Manchester United’s Paul Scholes, and Nemanja Vidic and Robin van Persie, to name a few.
Hall of Fame Voting.
This award is voted for by the fans and votes from the Premier League Awards Panel. It exists completely online. All of the members are listed on the Premier League website, which includes in-depth details of their careers, statistics, and achievements.
The shortlist for the next set of players should be available on the 23rd March, with voting open shortly after for fans to vote for their pick.
There are six more players to be selected over the course of the next year, and fans hold (nearly) all the power for who will be chosen.