Rooney, Vieira inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame
Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira have become the latest players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Rooney is the Premier League’s all-time second top scorer, with 208 goals for Manchester United – with whom he won five league titles – and Everton.
Vieira won three Premier League titles during 11 seasons with Arsenal and captained the ‘Invincibles’ team to the title in 2003/04, when they did not lose a match.
Rooney and Vieira are the ninth and 10th players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.
Rooney burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old for Everton when he scored a spectacular winner against Arsenal at Goodison Park – his first Premier League goal.
He then joined Manchester United for nearly £30m in August 2004 and would go on to become an Old Trafford legend.
In 13 years at United, Rooney became the club’s record scorer in the competition with 183 goals, won the league five times – including three in a row between 2006/07 and 2008/09 – and was named the league’s Player of the Season in 2009/10.
He also twice won the Premier League Goal of the Season award at United, for his long-range volley against Newcastle United in 2004/05 and his bicycle kick against title rivals Manchester City in 2010/11.
The 36-year-old, who currently manages Championship side Derby County, said: “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.”