The Football Column’s Premier League Hall of Fame, inducted. The opinionated differential ballpark, the loveable eight, take your pick, a legend, a genius, a hero.

Ashley Cole

Into breakdown mode, has there been a better left back than Ashley, name names, make the challenge. Passing, speed of thought with controlled forward movement, super fit with a fierce competitive edge, defending and attacking of the highest order, supreme.

Dennis Bergkamp

No one could reach out to Bergkamp’s level, perhaps Cantona, unbelievable jaw dropping technique capsulated in the goal of all centuries v Newcastle United, back to goal, a flick of the ball to one side of the defender, a sublime movement beyond the marker, Dennis knew the spin added to the ball would make the return spin to one’s self, relieving one’s own ghost pass, duly dispatched into the net, Bergkamp, a genius.

John Terry

Not everyone’s favourite, one’s included on that basis, but on the field of play, Terry was a colossus of a defender, a leader, born with leadership qualities, the complete defender, a great reader of the game, not from the sweeper role, but in the mindset, John was playing in a sweeper type role on occasions, but without the markings, supplemented with an accurate forward thinking passing range. Did Terry lack pace? It seemed that way on occasions, but was that really the case? Terry’s angled defence covering tackles on forwards were deceptive, the injection of pace was always in the locker, the ability to shorten the ground yardage with a supreme reading of the game from a deep position, the master, the angled defensive covering tackles in abundance. A full on match play mindset, the term projected, to project the goal like a fortress, the legend, John Terry numbered twenty six, Chelsea, Chelsea.

Eric Cantona

The catalyst for the Sir Alex Ferguson launchpad, self-belief, a powerhouse locker of confidence, the question is, does a genius know one’s self to be a genius? Eric did, he looked in the mirror “Cantona”. Eric knew he could and would deliver, rough edged, poetry in motion, a mixture of the dark arts and Shakespearean sketchings, the classy Cantona, a maverick, the eye of the tiger, the raised collar, the straight back to indicate, I am the master. The name Cantona still reverberates around the theatre of dreams, Old Trafford, testament to the forever long enduring love for Eric, King Cantona.

Thierry Henry

A devastating turn of pace, would exhaust the opposition into submission, manoeuvrability, flexibility, available to receive the ball at any given angle, at any given ball pace, to receive, to inject in front of goal, a lightning speed of thought and movement, the killer instinct. Subline sharpness, alongside technique to supply the requirement, goals a sliding to the knees in celebration depicted in the Thierry Henry statue at the Emirates stadium, en iyisi, Thierry, the best.

Roy Keane

Leader, winner, motivator, driven, passionate, unquenchable work ethic. Would strike the fear of the devil into the opposition and would chase, cajole, no escape from Keano to pursue one’s colleagues to perform, on the pitch colleagues, off the pitch Keane kept the same persona, to win football matches at all costs, to fill the trophy cabinet on the never ending conveyor belt, win a trophy, refocus quickly, onto the next trophy, unrelenting, a toughness to prevail no passengers, no holes barred, the aggressor, the winner, Keano.

Frank Lampard

Super Frank, an F1 engine, the same desires as Roy Keane, to drain every last drop of sweat, to perspire, to aspire to one’s work ethic, a box to box player, either way Frank would cover the ground with extreme desire. The stats can matter and reveal the legend of Frank Lampard, 102 assists fourth on the all time list, selected in the PFA team of the year on three occasions, runner up on two occasions for FIFA’s Ballon D’or, Chelsea’s record goal scorer on 211 goals breaking Bobby Tambling’s long standing record (202 goals) an astonishing record from a midfield player. If Frank entered the blue kiosk and dialled Chelsea, Chelsea and exited attired as Superman, blue is the colour, would you blink an eyelid, no, Frank is Superman, an incredible player, super Frankie Lampard.

Didier Drogba

The awe inspiring Didier Drogba completes the Chelsea quartet in the Football Column’s Hall of Fame. Didier a powerhouse who could set the burners smouldering with an implosion on goal, the ferocious shot on goal, Drogba would lead the line with brut force, fortitude, resilience, could operate left or right, movement from the central, centre-forward position with a strong adaptability and flexibility, a true footballing athlete. Showcased in one of the most awe inspiring performances of all time and that includes any sport v Bayern Munich, 2012 Champions League final, dragging Chelsea from the depths of despair with an 88^th minute equaliser with a powerhouse bullet header and eclipsed this scoring the winning penalty in the dreaded shoot outs, the gods shone bright on Didier. It was meant to be, a legend, a hero, Didier Drogba.