Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer have been announced as the first two inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Fans have known for a few months now that the Hall of Fame was coming, with the aim being to honour some of the best players in the league since the EPL branding commenced in 1992.
Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer – the best of the best
Henry and Shearer are both known for being all-time top-flight greats in many different ways. Thierry was a pioneer and possessed unbelievable skill for Arsenal, whereas Shearer was the ultimate hometown hero and the top goalscorer in Premier League history, with 260 goals across 441 appearances.
Now, the Premier League has confirmed that both men will be the inaugural inductees into the Hall of Fame this year.
Shearer won the league once with Blackburn Rovers back in 1994-95 but his influence stretches far beyond that. He won the Golden Boot three times, Player of the Month four times and Player of the Year once.
On the flip side, Henry won the league title twice in 2001-02 and 2003-04. He also won the Golden Boot four times and Player of the Year twice.
The league has also revealed that in order for players to be eligible for the HoF in 2021, they must have retired from the beautiful game by August 2020.
Fans are also set to be invited later today to vote on who the next six inductees should be.
As we look ahead to the future, the expectation is that some kind of post-COVID ceremony will take place for all of those who make their way into the Hall.
Henry and Shearer will likely be remembered in alternate ways if only because of their style of play. Alas, when looking at worthy inductees, it’s hard to think of two better candidates.
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