Five-time Premier League champions Andrew Cole and John Terry have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The duo were selected from a shortlist of 15 former players after votes from fans worldwide were combined with those of the Premier League Awards Panel.
They join Ashley Cole, who has also received the League’s highest honour this year, and become the 23rd and 24th inductees to the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The three new inductees will be recognised at a celebratory event in London on Tuesday.
Cole is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, 187 goals from 414 appearances, a tally that includes only one penalty. He netted 34 goals for Newcastle United in 1993/94 to win the Golden Boot in his first Premier League season.
After moving to Manchester United in 1995 for a record British transfer fee, Cole won five Premier League titles, including three in a row between 1998/99 and 2000/01, and also delivered crucial goals in United’s historic Treble-winning campaign.
“I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved in football, which is thanks to my family, my coaches and my team-mates, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame makes me very proud,” said Cole.
“Football is a game of ups and downs, but I enjoyed every single minute of my career. My dad wanted me to play cricket, but I said, ‘No dad, I think I’m good at football.’ Looking back at my career always fills me with great pride and puts a smile on my face.
“The reason you play football and compete at the highest level is to win major honours. It was so, so special for me to win so many trophies and five Premier Leagues. To get my first one was crazy and after that I just wanted to win more.”
Terry is the most successful Chelsea captain in the club’s history, leading the team to five Premier League titles. He holds the record for most Premier League clean sheets as a defender, with 214, and is the league’s all-time highest-scoring defender, with 41 goals from his 492 top-flight appearances.
In 2004/05, Terry led the Blues to their first top-flight title for 50 years, with the side retaining the Premier League crown the following season. Further titles followed in 2009/10, 2014/15 and in Terry’s final season at Stamford Bridge in 2016/17.
“I’m very grateful to have been voted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. I’m a player that certainly gave my all whenever I stepped out on the pitch and to be recognised in this way makes me really proud,” said Terry.
“It’s great to have joined my former team-mates who have already been inducted, and to be inducted in the same year as Ashley Cole, who was an incredible player and a close friend.
“I was lucky to share a dressing room with so many top players. To captain a club like Chelsea and achieve what we did as a team is so special to me. The Premier League is the best league in the world, which every player hopes to play in, and I’m very proud to have won it five times.”
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “Andrew Cole and John Terry are both worthy additions to the Premier League Hall of Fame thanks to the contributions they made to their respective teams and their achievements in the game.
“Cole’s goalscoring exploits and all-round play place him among the greatest strikers we have seen. After making his mark in the competition with Newcastle United, he became an integral part of the Manchester United team that dominated the early years of the Premier League.
“Terry’s defensive acumen and leadership qualities were essential in transforming Chelsea into a Premier League force. He led by example over a long period of time and played a key role in all five of their title successes.
“Congratulations to both players, and to Ashley Cole, who has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.”
What is the Hall of Fame?
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.
The Hall of Fame launched in 2021, with inaugural inductees David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Alan Shearer.
In 2022, Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright were inducted.
Last year, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were named as the first managerial inductees, with Tony Adams, Petr Cech and Rio Ferdinand also voted in.
All inductees receive a medallion engraved with their name and the year of their induction, along with a £10,000 donation made by the Premier League to a charity of their choice.
To be eligible for this season’s Premier League Hall of Fame, individuals must have been retired as of 1 January 2024, and only an individual’s career achievements in the Premier League are considered in their candidacy.