Arsenal icon Thierry Henry and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer were inducted as the inaugural class of the Premier League Hall of Fame on Monday.

Shearer is the league's record goal scorer with 260, while Henry led the Premier League in scoring on a record four occasions.

"When you look at some of the unbelievable players to have graced the Premier League - week in, week out, year in, year out - I feel very honoured to join the Hall of Fame," Shearer, a Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers in 1995, said. "I have to thank all of my team-mates, as well as the managers and coaches that I've worked with. All I ever wanted to be was a professional footballer. It was my dream to do that, my dream to win trophies and my dream to score at St James' Park, to wear the number nine black-and-white shirt and it was fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it."

A native of Newcastle, Shearer spent 14 seasons in the Premier League with Blackburn and the Magpies.

Former France international Henry, a World Cup winner in 1998, spent eight seasons with the Gunners, winning a pair of Premier League titles including as a member of the famed "Les Invincibles" squad.

"To be inducted alongside Alan Shearer as the two first inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is more than special," Henry said. "When I was young, I was just trying to make sure I could get a pair of boots and now we're talking about the Hall of Fame. During my career I wanted to play hard and make sure I was fighting for the cause, because that's all the fans want to see."

Henry's 175 Premier League goals are sixth all-time and only Sergio Aguero (181) has scored more as a non-English player.

The nascent Hall of Fame will next announce a shortlist of 23 more players with six set for induction. Fans will have the opportunity to vote on the next inductees.