Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Two illustrious football coaches, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The duo created a remarkable legacy with Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively, winning a combined 16 Premier League titles, with Sir Alex Ferguson winning 13 of those.
As Manchester United manager, he won nine more times than any other manager in Premier League history, including winning the title for three seasons in a row on two separate occasions.
On his part, Arsene Wenger managed 828 matches, an unrivalled number in the competition.
The Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates individuals who have an exceptional record of success and have made a significant contribution to the Premier League since its inception in 1992. It is the highest individual honour awarded by the League.
Sir Alex is the most successful manager in Premier League history, with his record 13 titles won over 27 years at Old Trafford, which incorporated 21 Premier League seasons.
His Manchester United side won the inaugural Premier League title in 1992/93 to deliver the club’s first league success since 1967 and kick-start a remarkable era of success. He finished his career with a final Premier League title in 2012/13.
Six players managed by Sir Alex Ferguson have already been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame: David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes.
He also holds an all-time Premier League record standing at 528 wins from 810 matches and 1,752 points accumulated. He was named manager of the season 11 times and collected the monthly award on 27 occasions.
He said: “I’m truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. 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 of 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 and 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. 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!”
On his part, Mr Wenger spent 22 seasons in charge of Arsenal, a Premier League record. He won the Premier League three times and made history in 2003/04 as The Invincibles became the only team to win the title while remaining unbeaten throughout the entire campaign.
Arriving as one of the first foreign managers in the Premier League in 1996, Wenger’s impact was instantaneous and remarkable. He won the title in 1997/98, his first full season with the club.
The Frenchman managed a record 828 Premier League matches, including 476 wins and 199 draws. He was voted manager of the season in 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Mr Wenger said: “I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame. We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.
“I’d like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger.
“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me. It’s like two boxers; you fight like mad and go the distance together. At the end of the day, you have respect, and it will be a great opportunity to meet with him, share a good bottle of wine and memories of our old battles.”
