Premier League Hall of Fame opens with Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry as first two inductees

Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry have become the first two players to be inducted in the much-awaited Premier League Hall of Fame, the Premier League's official Twitter account broke the news on Monday. The much-awaited PL Hall of Fame 2021 was inaugurated this week with the duo being the first players to be bestowed the title upon.

What is Premier League Hall of Fame? 

The Premier League Hall of Fame is the highest individual honour a player can be awarded by the Premier League. Earlier set to kickoff off in 2020, the Hall of Fame was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The main motive of this initiative is to celebrate and recognise a player's talent who has featured in the Premier League since its start back in 1992. The eligibility criteria for a player to be considered and be a part of the Premier League Hall of Fame requires the individual to be retired as of 1 August 2020. Also, the player’s Premier League record is the only criterion that will be considered while making the decision to include him or her in the Premier League Hall of Fame.

PL Hall of Fame 2021 Inductees

Alan Shearer has been a Premier League Legend in a true sense as the former England international has scored over 260 goals in 441 appearances in the competition. Winning the Premier League with Blackburn in 1995, he went on to join his boyhood club Newcastle United and enjoyed a decade-long successful spell with the team. Shearer has also pocketed won three Golden Boots in the English competition while also being awarded the Player of the Season once. He is also the only player to score 100 Premier League goals for two different clubs during his 14-year spell before retiring in 2006. 

Thierry Henry played his first season in the Premier League in 1999 when he left Juventus to join Arsenal. Since joining the London outfit, the French international went on to win the Premier League title twice scoring 175 goals in 258 appearances for the Gunners. He has also been award the Golden Boot four times and has been crowned with the Player of the Season award twice across his spell for Arsenal.

Following the introduction of the duo in the Premier League Hall of Fame, Shearer and Henry are all set to feature in a special programme on Monday where a list of 23 additional nominees will be announced. Following the revelation, the Premier League is all set to involve the fans and give them the power to vote for players who will later be added to the Premier League Hall of Fame.