The Premier League announced on Thursday that six new players had been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, and Ian Wright were chosen by the public and the Premier League Awards Panel through an online vote.
They will be formally honored at an event in London this evening, alongside Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira, as this year’s inductees.
Since the Premier League’s founding in 1992, the Hall of Fame has recognized and celebrated those with “extraordinary skill” and “talent.” It is the league’s highest individual honor given to players.
“The latest additions to our Hall of Fame were all world-class players who entertained fans around the world and helped to define different eras of the Premier League,” said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters.
“I congratulate them on receiving the honour and thank those who voted for their favourite players. We now have 16 incredible inductees in the Premier League Hall of Fame and I look forward to seeing who will follow them in years to come.”
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.
To be eligible for the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022, players had to be retired by Jan. 1 and only a player’s Premier League career was considered in their candidacy, not their performances in other competitions.
The Hall of Fame was launched in 2021, with Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry as inaugural inductees. David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard and Dennis Bergkamp were later added in the ‘Class of 2021’.