We are looking at the 15 nominees who have been shortlisted for the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2023.
The three players with the most combined votes from the fans and a Premier League Awards panel will enter the Hall of Fame. Fans can have their say by voting up until 18:00 BST on Monday 10 April.
Nemanja Vidic
Twice named the Player of the Season in 2008/09 and 2010/11, Nemanja Vidic proved one of Manchester United's most important signings.
The Serbian centre-back's exceptional tackling and reading of the game, as well as his willingness to put his body on the line, laid the foundation for a hat-trick of Premier League titles from his first full season.
🎖️ Nemanja Vidic:
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 30, 2023
A rock at the back, Nemanja formed an elite partnership with Rio in defence. The Serbian left everything out there and was a huge favourite at Old Trafford.
2️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ appearances ⚽️
9️⃣5️⃣ clean sheets ⛔️
5️⃣ winner's medals 🏆
2️⃣ #PL Player of the Season awards 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Fhv43iJQpE
Two more followed for Vidic as United captain after the turn of the decade.
He kept an incredible 95 clean sheets in 211 appearances, forming a dominant centre-back partnership with Rio Ferdinand that was instrumental in a trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford.
Career in numbers
| Category | Nemanja Vidic |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 211 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Clean sheets | 95 |
| PL titles | 5 |
| Season awards | 2 |
| Monthly awards | 1 |
What they said
"Vida, simply the best out-and-out defender I've seen. Aggression and desire to win at all costs, scared centre-forwards to death!" - Michael Carrick
"He became a defender that was feared. He could fight with the most physical. He crunched into tackles. He attacked the ball better than anyone I've seen. But, as he will tell you with a smile, he could also play with the ball too, which made him complete and a great defender. Because he was so good in the aggressive areas, people probably overlooked his ability with the ball, to his annoyance!" - Rio Ferdinand
"Nemanja reminds me of Steve Bruce in the sense he always asks a question of defenders. He wants to know whether they have the courage to put their head in front of his. There is no question he can play, there is not a doubt about it. But he doesn't mess about in terms of clearing the ball." - Sir Alex Ferguson
See: Vote for your Hall of Fame players
Did you know?
Vidic is the only defender to win the Premier League Player of the Season award more than once, claiming the honour in 2008/09 and 2010/11.
The centre-back scored five Premier League goals in 2010/11. This is the joint-most by a Man Utd defender in a single season, along with Denis Irwin in 1992/93.
Among the 383 players to have appeared at least 200 times in the Premier League, Vidic posted the best win percentage, winning 71 per cent of his 211 matches.
