Rio Ferdinand, Petr Cech and Tony Adams join Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as this year's Premier League Hall of Fame inductees and will be formally honoured at an event in London on Wednesday; the trio were selected by the public and the Premier League Awards Panel
Wednesday 3 May 2023 09:49, UK
Tony Adams, Petr Cech and Rio Ferdinand have been named as the latest inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
They were selected by the public, through an online vote, and the Premier League Awards Panel.
They join legendary managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as this year's inductees and will be formally honoured at an event in London on Wednesday evening.
The Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates individuals who have an exceptional record of success and have made a significant contribution to the Premier League since its inception in 1992. It is the highest individual honour awarded by the League.
Known as 'Mr Arsenal', Adams made his senior debut for the Gunners in 1983 and had already won two League titles before the start of the Premier League.
He captained the side in the first 10 seasons of the Premier League, making 255 appearances at the heart of the defence and securing 115 clean sheets in the process.
Adams helped Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 1997/98 under manager Wenger, sealing top spot with a memorable 89th-minute goal in a 4-0 win against Everton in May 1998.
The win was part of a domestic double for the Gunners, which included the FA Cup. In his final season in 2001/02, Adams became a Premier League champion again as the club completed another double.
The ultimate one-club man, Adams remains the only player to captain a side to top-flight titles in three different decades and is immortalised in a statue outside the Emirates Stadium.
Adams said: "I loved being a footballer and I love Arsenal Football Club. Every time I put that shirt on, I felt proud, and it forever holds a special place in my heart.
"I spent over 20 years of my life at Arsenal and enjoyed being part of several generations at the club and have countless great memories from that time, but scoring the goal that helped us to win our first Premier League title in 1997-98 was a magical moment and a career highlight for me.
"I'm very pleased to join the Premier League Hall of Fame. It's an honour to be recognised and voted for by the fans who make the game what it is.
"I'm certainly in good company when you look at the guys it includes and I'm happy to be listed alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Arsene Wenger."
Cech holds the record for most Premier League clean sheets as a goalkeeper, with 202 shutouts in 443 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal.
He became a Premier League champion four times with Chelsea, helping the Blues to back-to-back titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06 in his first seasons in English football. In his debut campaign, the team conceded just 15 goals, with Cech keeping 24 clean sheets in 35 appearances, both records for a single season.
Two further titles followed in 2009/10 and 2014/15 as Chelsea dethroned Manchester United and then Manchester City.
He becomes the second goalkeeper inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Peter Schmeichel.
Cech said: "When I was a child growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, playing in the Premier League was an unimaginable dream. When I look back to where I started, diving on rock-solid pitches with stones like golf balls, it has been an amazing journey.
"I hope to be known as someone who showed effort, commitment, and consistency. Making a great save feels the same as scoring a goal and I'm proud of my clean-sheet record, but I was even more happy when those clean sheets won matches and points for the team and contributed to titles!
"It's an honour for me to be voted into the Hall of Fame in the best league in the world. That's really a special recognition and leaves a legacy. I'm proud that fans voted for me and appreciated the way I performed over the years."
Ferdinand became a six-time Premier League winner with Manchester United, lifting his first trophy in 2002/03 after breaking the British transfer record when he joined the Red Devils from Leeds United.
Known as one of the greatest ball-playing central defenders of his era, Ferdinand's ability to carry and play the ball, paired with his natural pace and relentless desire to win set him apart.
He was part of the Manchester United team that retained the Premier League title in 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09. He secured his sixth in 2012/13, reclaiming the title from neighbours Manchester City in Ferguson's final season at the club.
After making his debut as a 17-year-old for Harry Redknapp's West Ham, Ferdinand played in 504 games across 20 Premier League seasons, keeping 189 clean sheets in the competition.
Ferdinand said: "As a defender, I'm not used to celebrating personal glory - we leave that to the midfielders and strikers! When you start your career, you never dream of how well things could turn out.
"I remember all those long journeys on trains and tubes; all the training, cleaning players' boots and taking care of the kit. I remember going back to my estate and seeing my friends who were all desperate to know what it was like.
"It's a great feeling to be recognised by my peers as well as the fans. To be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame alongside such a high calibre of players and to be able to say that I achieved my dream is special. The Premier League is the Holy Grail, and I just can't believe I made it."
All inducted players receive a medallion engraved with their name and the year of their induction, with a £10,000 donation made by the Premier League to a charity of their choice.
