The former Blues midfielder has been recognised for his outstanding 20-year top-flight career, with an Arsenal legend also making the final cut
Chelsea great Frank Lampard has entered into the Premier League Hall of Fame, with Dennis Bergkamp following him as the sixth inductee on Wednesday.
Lampard and former Arsenal forward Bergkamp have joined Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane in the top-flight history books following a vote from the public.
Ex-Blues midfielder Lampard has been handed the league’s highest individual honour after an outstanding 20-year career which also saw him take in spells at West Ham and Manchester City.
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What’s been said?
Lampard expressed his delight after receiving the accolade, telling the Premier League’s official website: “As a young lad I remember just wanting to make it into the West Ham team, and looking up to players like Roy Keane, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry so to be mentioned in the same bracket as them is a real honour.
“I am very proud and thankful for the recognition. The key for me was practice and hard work. I had a talent for arriving and scoring goals. I had done it in all the teams that I played for but to score consistently over that period in the Premier League was mostly down to my hard work and dedication to constantly improve.”
Lampard’s Premier League record
Lampard began his career at West Ham in 1995, where he spent six years before being snapped up by Chelsea for £11 million.
The former England international went on to win three league titles while also receiving the coveted Player of the Year award for 2004-05 and becoming the Blues’ all-time record scorer.
Lampard took in a brief spell at Manchester City in 2014 before hanging up his boots after a stint in MLS with New York City FC, leaving the Premier League as the highest-scoring midfielder in the competition’s history with 177 goals.
Bergkamp’s Arsenal career
Bergkamp moved to Arsenal from Italian giants Inter in 1995 and went on to help the north London outfit win 10 trophies, including three Premier League titles.
The Dutchman was part of the Gunners famous 2003/04 Invincibles squad and found the net 87 times in 315 top-flight appearances, while also laying on 94 assists.
“It feels special to be part of a small group of players who got the recognition of playing in the strongest league in the world,” Bergkamp said of his induction into the Hall of Fame. “I’m honoured.”
How many more players will be included in the class of 2021?
Newcastle legend Shearer and ex-Arsenal frontman Henry were named as the only two automatic inductees into the Hall of Fame last month, but a total of eight players will make up the class of 2021.
Cantona, Keane, Lampard and Bergkamp are the first of the remaining six men to make the cut after a fan vote from an all-star shortlist containing 23 of the finest players in top-flight history.
Who are the remaining nominees?
The final two inductees will be revealed by the end of the week, with Tony Adams, David Beckham, Sol Campbell, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand and Rio Ferdinand among the remaining nominees.
The prestigious group is completed by Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright.
Further reading
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Cantona inducted into Hall of Fame
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Shearer & Henry named as first two inductees
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Premier League Hall of Fame: All you need to know
