Premier League Hall of Fame: Who should be in?

The Premier League have announced they are launching an official Hall of Fame to celebrate 28 years of the competition. Officials say this award will be the highest individual honour dished out to players by the league. “Since 1992, the Premier League has been home to world-class players who have defined generations and provided us with compelling football season after season," chairman Richard Masters said in a statement. “A place in the Premier League Hall of Fame is reserved for the very best. It will be an occasion for our fans around the world to look back over the years and help us celebrate some truly exceptional playing careers.”

The first two inductees to have their careers commemorated will be announced on Thursday March 19. Fans will be invited to vote to help select the additional former players to join the Premier League Hall of Fame 2020 from a shortlist of nominees to be announced nearer the time. To be eligible, players must be retired and only a player’s Premier League career is considered in their candidacy. Each inductee will receive a personalised medallion, engraved with the year of their induction. So who should be the first two players entered into the Hall of Fame? Express Sport's team of writers deliver their verdicts below.

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MATT DUNN ERIC CANTONA and THIERRY HENRY The citation from the Premier League mentions "exceptional skill and talent" and these two players stand head and shoulders above all others when it comes to that. The first two Hall of Famers should also represent the international appeal of the competition, which grew up in the wake of the Bosman ruling and embraced imports like no other league before or since. Cantona's move to Manchester United in the first few weeks of the Premier League set United on a course to unprecedented success over the history of the competition. And Thierry Henry's emergence sparked the next Arsene Wenger-inspired renaissance which led ultimately to the Invincibles. Moreover, with Henry never making it off the bench in the 1998 World Cup final, both players are revered more for their club achievements than those they managed with their country.

Is Newcastle legend Alan Shearer is a Hall of Fame certainty?

LUKE GARDENER RYAN GIGGS and THIERRY HENRY The Welsh winger is one of the Premier League all-time greats and his CV of endless trophies backs that up. At Manchester United, Giggs won 13 titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups and four League Cups. Giggs has an unbelievable 109 goals and 158 assists in 632 Premier League appearances. The winger simply must be in the first two Premier League Hall of Famers. For my money Thierry Henry is the best striker in Premier League history and definitely the best overseas talent. He took Arsenal to another level and was majestic on the ball and his finishing. There’s a reason that every goal scored by someone cutting in from the left wing is compared to Henry. A massive 176 goals in 258 appearances underlines just how talented the Frenchman was. He has two Premier League titles to his name and his Arsenal exit to Barcelona underlined just how good he was as the Gunners haven’t been the same since.

Thierry Henry is one of the Premier League's greatest imports

MATT ATHERTON ALAN SHEARER and THIERRY HENRY Surely the first name on the list is Alan Shearer? It’s difficult to deny the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer a place in the Hall of Fame.

Shearer scored 260 goals in the Premier League; which is a huge 52 more than anyone else. He also provided 87 assists during his top flight spell, showing that he had the all-round game to go down as a Premier League legend.

Arsenal’s legend will inevitably be named in the Hall of Fame at some point, but he should be one of the first names on the wall. The Frenchman revolutionised the Premier League with his introduction, and was by far the best striker in the league for a number of years. Some of the goals he scored will go down in legend - notably, THAT goal against Manchester United. Every striker nowadays are compared with Henry, knowing that he’s the benchmark for one of the best ever to play on our shores.

Eric Cantona could be put into the Premier League Hall of Fame

ADAM POWERS ALAN SHEARER and THIERRY HENRY The first two inductees should be the most indisputable names possible in order to avoid any grave scrutiny and give this exciting new idea some prestige. Just think of the uproar if Steven Gerrard was one of the first two... Bearing that in mind, where better to start than with the competition's all-time top goalscorer, Alan Shearer? There are 260 reasons why the fierce frontman should make it in there, even if he could have had even more goals (and PL trophies) to his name had he chosen Manchester United over Newcastle. As for the second pick, who else but the man who is widely considered the best player in the division's history - Thierry Henry? The mesmeric Frenchman bamboozled opposition defences in the most fantastic ways, and revelled in doing so. With two Premier League titles, 175 goals and 74 assists, his statistics justify the manner in which he is cherished.

STUART BALLARD RYAN GIGGS and ALAN SHEARER First and foremost, this is a brilliant idea from the Premier League. American-style celebrations of sport may not always fit in with British culture, but this is certainly one that we can get on board with.



Now on to who should be the first two legends to be inducted. Ryan Giggs was an ever-present as Sir Alex Ferguson created a dynasty at Manchester United which saw the Welshman win an unprecedented 13 league titles. There has and possibly never will be a similar era of dominance from one player at one team again.



Then there’s the Premier League’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer. Sometimes overlooked because of the status of clubs he played for, Shearer was always an understated frontman with a deadly finish.



He holds an iconic status at both Blackburn and Newcastle and in English football in general. His place in any hall of fame is hard to argue against.

Man Utd hero Ryan Giggs was Premier League stalwart for years

JAMES WALTERS RYAN GIGGS and THIERRY HENRY Ryan Giggs has to be the first inductee into the Premier League’s hall of fame.



The former Manchester United star won it all at Old Trafford including 13 Premier League titles.



Sir Alex Ferguson’s reliance upon the Welshman during their time together at United says it all. It’s a no brainer.



Next up should be Thierry Henry.



Arsenal’s all-time top scorer, who won two Premier League titles, was remarkable during his time in England.



He almost deserves to make it in simply for his goal against Manchester United in 2000. Poor Fabien Barthez.

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LEWIS WINTER THIERRY HENRY and RYAN GIGGS The first player who should be inducted into the Hall of Fame is the great Thierry Henry. Henry is not only the best foreign player to play in the Premier League but arguably the greatest out of anyone to feature in the English top flight since 1992. The Frenchman had everything and was instrumental in Arsenal’s success in the early 2000s, winning four Golden Boots during his time at the club. The next person who should be inducted is Ryan Giggs, who has won the most Premier League winners medals with 13. The Manchester United legend wasn’t a bad player either.

John Terry was Chelsea's rock during their Premier League title wins