March 24

MANCHESTER United great Wayne Rooney and former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira were Wednesday inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The pair are the ninth and 10th players named in the select group, joining David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.

Rooney, currently manager of Championship side Derby, is second on the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers, with 208 goals for Manchester United and Everton.

“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,” said the 36-year-old former forward. “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.” — AFP