Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes and Ian Wright have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Former Manchester City striker Aguero is the division’s highest-scoring overseas player having netted 184 goals in 275 appearances between 2011 and 2021.
The 33-year-old Argentinian, who retired in December on health grounds after moving to Barcelona, lifted the title five times during his stay at the Etihad Stadium, with ex-City captain Kompany, 36, involved in four of those triumphs.
Aguero’s dramatic late winner against QPR on the final day of the 2011-12 season secured City’s first Premier League triumph.
“I think it is the best league in the world, where the football is fast and beautiful and the atmosphere is always incredible,” Aguero said.
“I just loved playing football here with Manchester City and the memories of winning the Premier League five times, including the most important goal of my career to win that first one.”
Ex-Chelsea striker Drogba, 44, managed 104 top-flight goals in 254 outings across two spells at Stamford Bridge, winning the title on four occasions.
Didier Drogba enjoyed two stays at Stamford Bridge (Mike Egerton/PA)
Schmeichel is the first goalkeeper to be added to the Hall of Fame, which is selected by the public and the Premier League awards panel.
The 58-year-old Dane won five titles with Manchester United between 1991 and 1999 and went on to play for Aston Villa and Manchester City, finishing his career with 310 top-flight appearances, 128 clean sheets and one goal.
“When I was a kid in Denmark, I used to fall asleep to this dream of playing for Manchester United,” he said.
“The team I was part of was so good that winning the Premier League once was special but we felt we had to retain it to prove ourselves and it was a dream come true for me to win five titles.”
Peter Schmeichel, right, is the first goalkeeper added to the Hall of Fame (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Midfielder Scholes played alongside Schmeichel at Old Trafford, spending his entire career with United. The 47-year-old scored 107 times in 499 outings between 1993 and 2013 and won 11 titles.
Scholes’ ex-England team-mate Wright completes the latest selections.
Striker Wright, 58, won the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998 and scored 113 goals across 213 outings in the competition, including a short spell with West Ham.
They join Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Patrick Vieira and Wayne Rooney in the Hall of Fame.
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