Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame.
Former Manchester United boss Ferguson, 81, won a record 13 titles and is the most successful manager in Premier League history.
His United side won the inaugural Premier League title in 1992/93, ending the club’s 26-year wait for league success.
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Ferguson won the title three seasons in a row on two separate occasions.
Wenger, meanwhile, won three league titles during his 22-year spell in charge of Arsenal and led the “Invincibles” to an unbeaten league-winning season in 2003-04.
Ferguson and Wenger are the first two managers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes – all of whom were managed by Ferguson – have already been inducted.
The Hall of Fame, launched in 2021, also includes Arsenal legends Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright.
Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Alan Shearer were also amongst the inaugural inductees.
“I’m truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame,” said Ferguson. “It’s an honour when you receive recognition like this.
“However, it’s not just about me as a person. It’s about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I’m also proud for the club, the staff and my players.
“My job was to send the fans home happy. United’s history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them.
“I feel Arsene is a very worthy inductee as he transformed Arsenal Football Club fantastically. They became a tough team to compete with and we both wanted to win, which motivated us further.
“Through the years since retirement, we’d go for dinner together in a little restaurant he knows well in Switzerland. He is a really interesting man and I enjoy his company, but it is still my job to pick the wine!”
Wenger, 73, arrived in England in 1996, winning the league in his first full season at Arsenal and went on to oversee a league record 22 campaigns.
“I’d like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger,” Wenger said.
“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me. It’s like two boxers, you fight like mad and go the distance together.
“At the end of the day, you have respect and it will be a great opportunity to meet with him, share a good bottle of wine and memories of our old battles.”
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