Patrick Vieira has become the third Arsenal player to be inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame.
Created to recognise and celebrate the best talent playing in England’s top-flight (since 1992), it has been marketed as “the highest individual honour awarded to players” by the Premier League.
Vieira joins fellow ‘Invincibles’ Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp as inductees.
Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the other names to already be included.
Two players who combined talent and work-rate to become Premier League legends 🤩
It is our pleasure to announce @WayneRooney and @OfficialVieira as the first two 2022 Inductees of the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/WYv4bfCsgU
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 23, 2022
Signed on the recommendation of Arsene Wenger in 1996, Vieira went on to make 307 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 31 goals and making 34 assists.
Highbury fell in love immediately. Not only was he a commanding physical presence, but his technical quality in the centre of the park and eye for a pass was also second to none.
I was very honoured and proud when I heard that I am being inducted into the @premierleague Hall of Fame. Playing in the Premier League was a true privilege. I really enjoyed that part of my career, and I would like to thank all my teammates who helped make it so special. pic.twitter.com/8MAduP5fUB
— Patrick Vieira (@OfficialVieira) March 23, 2022
In total, Vieira won three league titles and four FA Cups as a Gunner – the last sealed in Cardiff with his final kick in our colours – before joining Juventus in 2005. Thereafter he enjoyed a ridiculously successful spell at Inter Milan and even picked up another FA Cup on his return to England with Manchester City.
On the global stage, he won it all. He scored played a part in France’s third goal as they beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, won the European Championships two years later and added the Confederations Cup the year after that.
Every club has sought to find a Vieira of their own. None have been successful. Le Grand Saucisse was one of a kind.
Congratulations to Patrick – here’s a short video of him reflecting on his time in England.
Arsenal will be renewing acquaintances with Patrick very soon. In a quirk of fate, Mikel Arteta’s side face Vieira’s Crystal Palace after the Interlull.
I still think we should have resigned him rather than let him go to city.
It was in that period where we always lacked real leaders and mentorship which he just oozes.
My childhood memories are him leading us to the 98 double and everything after. One of the greats.
Project Youth was well under way at that time; we had in CM in our squad Fabregas, Ramsey, Diaby, Song, Denilson. Even Wilshire who went out on loan.
I can understand why Wenger wouldn’t have wanted 33 year old Vieira blocking one of their progress for 12 or 18 months (he joined City in a January window).
I don’t think Vieira himself would have come back to Arsenal anyway when Man City were offering a Saudi salary.
Man City’s owners are from the UAE
Correct, my error.
I thought he went to Inter!
Those long strides galloping through midfield gave the opposition nightmares weeks before a match
“He scored France’s third goal as they beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final”
I would have put money on that goal being Petit from Vieira pass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmjFa9LB7Pg evidence here…
What a player Petit was too. Those two headers by Zidane were unbelievable.
Made in Highbury, finished in Paris. Classic goal!
Definitely Petit goal Vieira assist. Great player and captain.
A Petit error.
Talking of which, it should be La Grande Saucisse
Wonderful
One of those players that I just wish I was a touch older to really appreciate. Went to games back then, but took just how good Vieria et al really were. And not only was he an incredible player, but he seems like just such a nice bloke. Even now at Palace, super calm and collected, doing a great job but keeping things steady, all the young players seem to respect him massively. Big fan of his. Side note; Ryan Gravenberch at Ajax looks like he might be close to being a player of Vieria’s stature with time. Looks like… Read more »
He is indeed a very nice bloke. Before we’d left Highbury my daughter was picked to be a mascot at an evening game and we were guests of the club from about four o’clock. After she’d been given her kit we went pitchside to watch an early warm up session, where Vieira took it upon himself to come over to us introduce himself (as if he needed to!) and took this awestruck eight year old round to meet the other players on the pitch, introducing them to her and organising the pictures. All the while he was chatting to her… Read more »
No defenders or goalies in the hall of fame. Sorry to be negatron but does anyone really give a shit about halls of fame
Don’t worry. Won’t be long before average defenders like the Neville brothers and Carragher make the cut ahead of beasts like Lauren and Vidic
Dead for days 😆
You’re right. What about Rio Ferdinand? Ashley Cole? Peter Schmeichel?
Lots of great players omitted.
I’ve just looked at the 25 man shortlist and thought Cech Ashley Cole and Aguero are probably the 3 most deserving
And when you consider his incredible career in terms of sustained quality over more than 20 Premier League years, Ryan Giggs should have been the first inductee in this Hall of Fame.
For me, he was a better player than Rooney for a start.
Giggs was irritating in the extreme. Unfortunately it seems his being a cunt goes beyond him simply being a Utd player, and probably his recent press means he’ll not be considered for such accolades.
Undoubtedly he was a great player, and as you say, length of career for a single club is such a rare thing… Hoping some of our current guys can take some inspiration from him! I’d be happy enough seeing ESR, Saka and a few others playing for us 15 years down the line, guiding the next, next, next crop of talented youth through the academy.
You’re right. I’d forgotten about all the off-the-pitch c**tery that he has been and still is involved in.
Shame: he was a terrific player.
Not only an all time great and true legend of the game – but his debut was the greatest debut I have ever seen. Totally in awe of him since day 1. I feel privileged to have watched his entire playing career.
I remember his debut and thinking wow.. what a player we’ve got here.
I remember his debut too.
Was on holiday with the missus in Crete. We were at an English bar that alternated between repeats of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ at breakfast and live/recorded Premiership games in the evening.
Everyone in that bar was talking about the new boy after that game – even the wife.
There will never be another like him
I still remember those first 45 minutes, completely turning the match in our favour and we won 4-1, was i ever to find a religion and a accompaning prophet dude type figure of any kind that was the moment it would have happened, he was such a revelation to me, and probably most Arsenal fans.
What took so damn long.
Congrats to Arsenal’s greatest midfield general of all time!
Arsenal don’t sign legends, we make them.
Congrats, Vieira
I was there for his debut. His first touch was to miscontrol a ball coming down from high. I thought oh no we’ve signed the French Carlton Palmer. Apart from that pass to Giggs, how wrong was I?
The one guy Roy Keane knew he couldn’t mess with – Paddy would have gladly ripped him to pieces given the opportunity. Those turbo powered long legs would eat up the box to box yards with ease, whilst their owner conveyed the indifference of a Sunday morning lie in. He was an absolute freak of nature; an athlete’s athlete – a footballer’s footballer. Pace, grace, power, subtlety. vision, leadership – he had The Lot. My favourite Paddy goals in reverse order. *Envelope rustle At number 3, what really shouldn’t have been his final kick in anger for The Arsenal –… Read more »
He was tremendous. Have we found another good one in a Partey recently?!
For me he’s the first name on the all time Premier XI and first on the all time Arsenal XI