Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand is the latest name to be inducted into the prestigious Premier League Hall of Fame.
The six-time English champion was selected from a shortlist of 15 other former players, including five former United teammates, including Michael Carrick, Andy Cole, Gary Neville, Michael Owen, and Nemanja Vidic.
Ferdinand, who began his career at London-based side West Ham United before moving to the Red Devils’ rivals Leeds United, was selected by fans across the globe through an online public vote and the Premier League Awards Panel.
“As a defender, I’m not used to celebrating personal glory,” Ferdinand said. “We leave that to the midfielders and strikers. When you start your career, you never dream of how well things could turn out.
“I remember all those long journeys on trains and tubes; all the training, cleaning players’ boots and taking care of the kit. I remember going back to my estate and seeing my friends who were all desperate to know what it was like. It’s a great feeling to be recognised by my peers, as well as the fans. To be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame alongside such a high calibre of players and to be able to say that I achieved my dream is special. The Premier League is the Holy Grail, and I just can’t believe I made it.
“The only thing I can think of [in terms of leaving a legacy], without patting myself on the back too much, would be the way I played my position which was probably something that set me apart. At that time, a centre-half who’s comfortable running out with the ball and taking the ball under pressure, wasn’t really what the position’s identity was about but that was my identity.
“You look at the players now, that’s a massive part of the way young centre-backs play because those are the demands put on players. I’d love to have played today.”
Dreams do come true ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UTLPbZwZBB
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 3, 2023
Now 44, the elegant former defender made 504 appearances across 20 seasons in the Premier League, playing for West Ham, Leeds, and Queens Park Rangers, where he found the back of the net eleven times and kept 189 clean sheets to his name.
Ferdinand becomes the sixth black former player to be inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame, joining Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Ian Wright, Didier Drogba, and Vincent Kompany. He will receive a medallion engraved with his name and a £10,000 donation to any charity of his choice.
Following Sir Alex Ferguson’s recent induction alongside Arsene Wenger, Ferdianand becomes the eighth representative from Manchester United to be named in the prestigious club: Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Roy Keane (all in 2021), plus Paul Scholes, Peter Schmeichel, and Wayne Rooney (2022).
