The Premier League has announced its shortlist for the next round of inductees into its Hall of Fame, with former Manchester United stars Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville among those in contention.
This is the third year in which players will join the hall of fame. Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were named in the inaugural group back in 2021, with Didier Drogba and Peter Schmeichel among those to be inducted in 2022.
The list of nominees comes after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger became the first managers brought into the Hall of Fame. Players need to have been retired by January 2023 to be in consideration for this year's list, and the latest group is a who's who of elite Premier League talent.
Ferdinand and Neville are two of six former United stars in the mix. Their fellow defender Nemanja Vidic has also earned a nomination, along with Michael Carrick, Andy Cole and ex-United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen.
The list is packed with England internationals, including Chelsea's multiple title-winning duo Ashley Cole and John Terry. Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe, Les Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler round off the English contingent.
Also on the list are a pair of overseas imports with a number of league titles to their name. Petr Cech was part of Jose Mourinho's first great Chelsea group along with left-back Cole and captain Terry, while Yaya Toure won the league three times under three different Manchester City managers.
Who is your pick for the Hall of Fame? Have your say in the comments section
"I'm truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame," former Man Utd boss Ferguson said after his own induction "It's an honour when you receive recognition like this. However, it's not just about me as a person. It’s about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I'm also proud for the club, the staff and my players.
"My job was to send the fans home happy. United's history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try to develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them.
"I feel Arsene is a very worthy inductee as he transformed Arsenal Football Club fantastically," Ferguson added. "They became a tough team to compete with and we both wanted to win, which motivated us further. Through the years since retirement, we’d go for dinner together in a little restaurant he knows well in Switzerland. He is a really interesting man and I enjoy his company, but it is still my job to pick the wine!"
List in full
Tony Adams
Sol Campbell
Michael Carrick
Petr Cech
Andy Cole
Ashley Cole
Jermain Defoe
Les Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Robbie Fowler
Gary Neville
Michael Owen
John Terry
Yaya Toure
Nemanja Vidic
