Former Manchester United team-mates Eric Cantona and Roy Keane have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Cantona, 54, became the third player to be inducted and Keane, 49, was announced as the fourth to receive the Premier League’s highest individual honour later on Tuesday.
They follow in the footsteps of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, who became the first two inductees on April 26.
Commanding and charismatic, a master of counter-attacking football and one of the greatest players the Premier League has seen 👑 Eric Cantona is inducted to the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/skAujPOxFa — Premier League (@premierleague) May 18, 2021
Cantona, who began his career in England at Leeds, scored 70 goals in 156 Premier League appearances and won four titles in five seasons for Manchester United.
Commenting on his induction, the talismanic Frenchman said: “I am very happy and very proud, but at the same time I am not surprised.
“I would’ve been surprised not to be elected! I have been lucky to play in this team, with wonderful players, a wonderful manager and wonderful fans.
“We won and it was the football I dreamed about because Manchester United, it’s a club where they want to win things but in a good way.”
Irishman Keane was a dominant figure for Manchester United, leading them to seven Premier League titles during his 12 seasons at the club before his departure by mutual consent in 2005.
Keane said: “I feel very lucky to be inducted but I’ve only been inducted because of the players I’ve played with.”
Cantona and Keane are two of the six players from a 23-man shortlist to receive the most combined votes from the public and the Premier League Awards Panel and the next four inductees 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 9, while to be eligible, players must have been retired by August 1, 2020. Only a player’s Premier League career was considered.
