Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry have been announced as the first players to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers striker Shearer remains the leading goalscorer in the competition's history, having scored 260 times across 14 seasons for both clubs.
A champion with Blackburn in 1994-95, Shearer scored 112 goals in 138 Premier League games for Rovers before a move to boyhood side Newcastle for £15million in 1996, breaking the world transfer record.
The former England captain, who won the Golden Boot three times, went on to net 148 goals in 303 league games for the Magpies and remains the only player to have scored 100 Premier League goals for two different clubs.
"When you look at some of the unbelievable players to have graced the Premier League – week in, week out, year in, year out – I feel very honoured to join the Hall of Fame. I have to thank all of my team-mates, as well as the managers and coaches that I've worked with," said Shearer.
"All I ever wanted to be was a professional footballer. It was my dream to do that, my dream to win trophies and my dream to score at St James' Park, to wear the number nine black-and-white shirt and it was fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it."
Henry is sixth on the all-time goalscoring list in the competition, having hit a club-record 175 in just 258 games for Arsenal.
The ex-France star, a record four-time Golden Boot winner, scored more than 20 goals in five consecutive seasons from 2001 until he left for Barcelona in 2006.
Twice a title-winner with the Gunners, including in the unbeaten 'Invincibles' side of 2003-04, Henry also registered 74 assists in the competition. His tally of 20 in 2002-03 remains a joint record for a single season, with Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne matching that tally in 2019-20.
"To be inducted alongside Alan Shearer as the two first inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is more than special," Henry said.
"When I was young, I was just trying to make sure I could get a pair of boots and now we're talking about the Hall of Fame. During my career I wanted to play hard and make sure I was fighting for the cause, because that's all the fans want to see.
"If you asked me at the start of my career about entering the Hall of Fame, I wouldn't have believed you. It's an amazing honour."
Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani completes Sampdoria takeover
A consortium that includes Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani has completed its takeover of Italian club Sampdoria.
Leeds’ majority shareholder Radrizzani’s company Aser Group and finance company Gestio Capital announced they had concluded a deal to save financially-stricken Sampdoria late on Tuesday night.
In a statement released on Sky Sports Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio’s social media sites, Radrizzani said: “We are nothing short of thrilled to be able to announce that we have completed the acquisition of this extraordinary club.
“The history and coat of arms of Sampdoria are safe and I think my happiness is (for) of all the people who were suffering for these colours.
“My thanks at this time go above all to all those people who worked relentlessly to ensure that this agreement found a just conclusion.
“And in particular I have to extend a huge thank you to Matteo (Manfredi, Gestio Capital principal) and to the lawyer De Gennaro.
“Without them none of this would have been possible. From today we move on…. and I personally can’t wait to get to work.”
Radrizzani, who bought Leeds for £45million in 2017, is expected to sell his 56 per cent stake in the Premier League club to American co-owners 49ers Enterprises.
The financial arm of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers increased its stake in Leeds to 44 per cent at the end of 2021 with a deal in place to buy Radrizzani’s stake and take full control before January 2024.
49ers Enterprises has been reported to be keen to complete a takeover this summer, but the deal was contingent on Leeds remaining in the Premier League and it remains to be seen how relegation will affect a possible change of ownership at Elland Road.
Leeds’ three-year stay in the top flight was ended on Sunday when they lost 4-1 to Tottenham at Elland Road in their last game of the season.
Pep Guardiola takes top honours at LMA Awards
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been named the League Managers Association’s manager of the year.
Guardiola, who has guided City to a third straight Premier League title and is hunting a domestic treble, has won the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for a third time and was also named Premier League manager of the year.
City face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday and Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Guardiola, who has previously won the award in 2017-18 and 2020-21, said: “I’m delighted to receive the Premier League Manager of the Year. It’s an incredible honour to get his trophy.
“We are in the best league in the world and I promise you we will be there next season.”
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and Fulham’s Marco Silva had all been nominated.
Vincent Kompany, who guided Burnley straight back to promotion to the top flight, won the Championship award, beating fellow nominees Michael Carrick (Middlesbrough), Paul Heckingbottom (Sheffield United), Rob Edwards (Luton) and Mark Robins (Coventry).
Kompany said: “The players have done it and the staff have been relentless.
“I can still relate to the players, I feel connected to what they are going through. I make mistakes and don’t see myself as the finished article. You make mistakes and learn. I’m pretty pleased where I am today.”
Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher took the League One award after guiding the Pilgrims to the title and Richie Wellens was voted League Two manager of the year after leading Leyton Orient to the top of the fourth tier.
Ange Postecoglou: Celtic have to be at their ‘absolute best’ against Inverness
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has stressed they have to be at their “absolute best” against Inverness in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final after hearing about the history between the clubs in the competition.
Caley Thistle have knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup three times in seven meetings this century and the Hoops needed to come from behind in two of their triumphs.
Inverness beat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead as a First Division club in the first encounter between the teams in February 2000 in a result that cost John Barnes his job as manager.
They also beat Martin O’Neill’s side in 2003 four days after the Hoops had won at Anfield on their way to the UEFA Cup final.
Ronny Deila also fell foul of Caley Thistle in the 2015 semi-finals in a result that cost Celtic the chance of a treble.
When told some people were predicting a walkover when the Scottish champions face a side who finished fifth in the cinch Championship, Postecoglou told Celtic TV: “The people at this club don’t tell me about that, they tell me about the past results against them, which makes you realise that if you are not on it on the day you can be beaten and there’s consequences to that.
“I can assure you that no-one in the building here is going into it with anything other than the approach that we have to be at our absolute best on the day.”
Caley Thistle have only played once since their semi-final win over Falkirk, losing to Ayr on May 5 in a late defeat which cost them a place in the Premiership play-offs.
“It’s a bit of a weird one for them, they won’t have had a game for close to a month by the time the cup final comes around,” Postecoglou said. “I’m sure they have been working away and had bounce games when they can.
“It’s a different opponent for us but, irrespective, it’s a cup final. Who the opponent is becomes secondary to the fact that you know you need to perform on the day and if you do there is a massive reward at the end of it.”
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