Former Ireland and Manchester United captain Roy Keane has become the fourth player to be inducted into the Premier League's Hall of Fame.
Keane made 366 appearances and won seven league titles during his 12 seasons at the club before his departure by mutual consent in 2005. The 49-year-old said: “I feel very lucky to be inducted but I’ve only been inducted because of the players I’ve played with.”
Earlier on Tuesday his former United team mate Eric Cantona became the third player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The 54-year-old former Leeds and Manchester United forward followed in the footsteps of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, who were announced as the first two inductees on April 26th.
The Cork native - one of the league’s greatest ever central midfielders and captains - is one of six players from a 23-man shortlist to receive the most combined votes from the public and the Premier League awards panel.The others will be announced over the next three days.
The Hall of Fame was launched last month to “recognise and celebrate the exceptional skill and talent of players who have graced the League since its inception in 1992”. A fans’ vote closed on May 9th, while to be eligible, players must have been retired by August 1st, 2020. Only a player’s Premier League career was considered.