Former players John Terry, legendary Chelsea defender, and Andy Cole, one of Manchester United’s greatest scorers, will be inducted into the Premier League ‘Hall of Fame’, the Premier League announced. English Championshipin this Monday.
Terry and Cole join the likes of David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney and Peter Schmeichel, who have been honored in the past.
The Blues’ legendary captain in the 2000s and 2010s, Terry was also a tireless defender, with the record number of clean sheets (214) and goals scored by a defender (41 in 492 games). He led Chelsea to win the Premier League five times: in 2005, for the first time in 50 years, and then in 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017, in his final season at Stamford Bridge.
“That’s quite emotional.” 🥹
A message from John Terry’s former @ChelseaFC manager Jose Mourinho almost reduced the new #PLHallOfFame induce to tears 💙 pic.twitter.com/YyJk9VknIC
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 22, 2024
“I’m very grateful to have been inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame. I’m a player who has always given my best every time I take the field and I’m proud to be recognized in this way,” said 43-year-old Terry.
The former England player received this honor at the same time as Andy Cole, the fourth highest scorer in the history of the English league (187 goals, of which only one was from the penalty spot in 414 games).
Cole first came to prominence at Newcastle, scoring 34 goals in his first Premier League season in 1993-94, before moving to Manchester United (1995-2001), who signed him for a then-record fee.
The home of the greats.#PLHallOfFame. pic.twitter.com/Ys6RD5Ojpk
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 22, 2024
With the ‘Red Devils’ he won five championships, three of them consecutive, and was one of the highlights of the triple crown won in 1999 (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League). “There are ups and downs in football, but I have enjoyed every minute of my career. Thinking about it fills me with pride and makes me smile,” said Cole, 52.
Both were chosen from a list of 15 former players, after mixed voting between fans from around the world and a jury. They thus become the 23rd and 24th players since the creation of this ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2021.
Each of them will receive a medal with their name and year of inclusion. The Premier League will also make a donation of 10 thousand pounds (around R$63 thousand at the current price) to a charity to be chosen by the players.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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