Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United forward Alan Shearer were confirmed as the first players to be inducted into the brand-new Premier League Hall of Fame on Monday.
The Hall of Fame is the highest individual honour awarded to players by the English domestic top flight and celebrates the talent and achievements of standout professionals who have featured in the division since its creation in 1992. To be eligible, players must be retired from the sport as of August 1, 2020.
Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker Shearer still holds the record as the Premier League's highest scorer with 260 goals in 441 appearances across 14 seasons. He has one league title, is a three-time Golden Boot winner and is the only player to have reached 100 Premier League goals for two different clubs.
Shearer told Sky Sports: "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.
"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, meanwhile, won two Premier League titles with The Gunners in 2002 and 2004, with the latter of course being the historic 'Invincibles' undefeated campaign.
He also won the Golden Boot award a record four times and scored a club-record 175 Premier League goals in 258 appearances, beating Ian Wright's total of 185 goals in all competitions to become Arsenal's all-time record scorer (final total: 228).
Henry said to Sky: "To be inducted alongside Alan Shearer as the two first inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is more than special.
"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."
Both Shearer and Henry will be part of a special induction show, which airs on DAZN Monday Apr. 26 at 13:00 ET. During the show, a shortlist of 23 other nominees who fit the Premier League Hall of Fame criteria will be revealed. Fans will then be able to vote to help select six additional players to join Shearer and Henry in the inaugural group of footballers to be inducted, the 'Class Of 2021'.
Voting opens at 14:00 ET, after the show concludes its first airing. Voting will take place at www.premierleague.com/halloffame and on the official Premier League app until 9 May.