Arsene Wenger has officially been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame (Picture: Getty)
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have officially be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The legendary formal rivals turned great friends are the first managers to have been voted in and join an exclusive club of ex-players who have decorated the last 25 years of the competition.
Ferguson was unable to attend an glitzy ceremony last night but his old foe, who masterminded Arsenal’s last title-winning campaign, was there in person as he joined fellow new inductees Rio Ferdinand and Tony Adams.
‘I’m very happy to join the Premier League Hall of Fame with Sir Alex Ferguson, I must say he is certainly the greatest ever Premier League manager,’ Wenger said.
‘There was a lot of scepticism when I arrived in the Premier League, so I had to gain people’s trust. During the invincible season I discovered what it was like to become a manager without fear.
‘The team went to another level, above ego.’
Asked who he thought might join him in future in being bestowed with the honour, Wenger cited a case for Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne given his ‘exceptional decisiveness over the last five years’.
Rio Ferdinand, Arsene Wenger, Ranveer Singh and Petr Cech attended a star studded event (Picture: Getty)
The Belgium international has been in sensational form in recent weeks for Pep Guardiola’s side who took another giant step towards retaining the title with a 3-0 win over West Ham last night.
De Bruyne missed the game through injury, but City made light of his absence cantering to a routine victory in which Erling Haaland scored his record breaking 35th goal of the season.
The 22-year-old has made a mockery of those doubting whether he could repeat his goalscoring feats after last summer’s switch from Borussia Dortmund to the Etihad Stadium.
Who is in the Premier League Hall of Fame?
Thierry Henry
Eric Cantona
Roy Keane
Frank Lampard
Dennis Bergkamp
Steven Gerrard
David Beckham
Patrick Vieira
Wayne Rooney
Paul Scholes
Didier Drogba
Peter Schmeichel
Sergio Aguero
Vincent Kompany
Ian Wright
Sir Alex Ferguson
Arsene Wenger
Rio Ferdinand
Petr Cech
Tony Adams
Haaland took his tally to 51 in all competitions on Wednesday night, when his cool finish moved his Premier League haul on to 35 and broke Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s competition record.
The Norway international scored between Nathan Ake and Phil Foden’s efforts in a second half rout of the Hammers that was followed by what Guardiola says was a pre-planned guard of honour.
‘It was (special), I think he deserved it,” the City boss said. “All the team deserved it because without the team he couldn’t do it, but he is a special striker. We are very pleased for him because he is a joy, not just to work with him as a manager. I think everyone is happy to have him with us.
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‘Of course this record will be broken sooner or later, maybe by him in the future or maybe another one but they’ll have to score a lot of goals because he scored a lot.
‘Of course (we planned the guard of honour). We thought about that and in football when there is a special occasion, we have to show how special it is.
‘Today it was with Erling. Another one, another day will happen but of course to score and overcome the position of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer – incredible, top, top strikers – is special.’
MORE : Man City leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the table with dominant Premier League win over West Ham
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The legendary Arsenal manager was welcomed as an official inductee.