The Premier League Hall of Fame has inducted former managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
The legendary combination won 16 Premier League trophies between them while managing their respective clubs, Manchester United and Arsenal, and developed a bitter rivalry over the years.
They are also the first members of the ‘Class of 2023’ to be inducted.
Ferguson, 81, is the most successful manager in Premier League history, having won a record 13 titles until retiring in 2013. He also won the title for an unparalleled three seasons in a row on two consecutive occasions.
Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford in 1986 and helped rebuild the club into one of English football’s juggernauts, dethroning Liverpool as the team with the most top-flight English league titles.
Ferguson also won the Premier League’s debut title in 1992-93, and he managed some of the game’s top players throughout his extraordinary 27-year tenure as Red Devils manager.
Ferguson’s all-time Premier League record is 528 victories from 810 matches and 1,752 points. He is known for his exceptional leadership qualities and ability to construct title-winning squads time and again.
He was named manager of the season 11 times and collected the Manager of the Month award on 27 occasions.
Ferguson said: ‘I’m truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. 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 won the Premier League title in his first full season as Arsenal manager in 1997-98, but it would take another five years for him to earn his biggest achievement to date.
Wenger made history when his Arsenal team finished the entire season unbeaten to win the league in 2003-04, earning the nickname “Invincibles.”
Wenger has a Premier League record of 828 games managed, with 476 victories and 199 draws. In 1998, 2002, and 2004, he was named Manager of the Season.
Wenger said: ‘I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame. We always wanted to give something special to the fans and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.
‘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.
‘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.’
Eight inductees were named as part of the inaugural group when the Hall of Fame was launched in 2021.