On Wednesday, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson were the first coaches to be admitted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

During a period of fierce rivalry that began in the 1990s, the two players won 16 English top-flight titles between them.

Ferguson, 81, is the most successful manager in Premier League history, having led Manchester United to 13 titles, while Wenger has three titles with Arsenal, including an undefeated season in 2003/04.

Ferguson, United's manager for more than 26 years, won the first Premier League title in 1992/93, the club's first league win since 1967.

Six of Ferguson's players have already been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame: David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel, and Paul Scholes.

“It’s an honour when you receive recognition like this,” said Ferguson, who retired in 2013 after winning his 13th title.

“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 of the club, the staff and my players.”

Wenger joined Arsenal in 1996 as one of the Premier League's first foreign managers and stayed until 2018.

The Frenchman introduced a novel football philosophy to the English game, focusing on nutrition and sports science.

He was dedicated to playing attractive, attacking football, and he won the title in his first full season with the team in 1997/98.

Wenger led an astute transfer plan, which included identifying talent abroad – fellow Hall of Fame members Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were two of his important players.

“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me,” said the 73-year-old, who is currently FIFA’s football development chief.

“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.”

The two managers brought "unparalleled levels of success" to their clubs, according to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.

“The dominance of Manchester United under Sir Alex remains unmatched after he guided them to an incredible 13 titles across 21 Premier League seasons,” he said.

He added, “Arsene was an innovator who was well ahead of his time… and the Invincibles season is not only one of the greatest accomplishments in English football but sport in general.”