SAM Allardyce wants Gary Speed's record-breaking service to football to be officially recognised by the Premier League.

The Wanderers boss has called on the Premiership to create a Hall of Fame and he wants the veteran midfield ace to be its first member.

Speed, 37 and still one of the most respected players in the top flight, is the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances.

His Wanderers bosses presented him with a commemorative trophy and the Premier League's sponsors gave him a pictorial record of his career, but Allardyce believe he deserves a more substantial tribute.

"The Premier League should start a Hall of Fame and Gary Speed should be the first man in it," he said.

"It would be a great thing for the Premier League to do. On what he has achieved in his career in the top flight, he would be the benchmark for everybody to equal or better."

Speed, pictured, continues to turn in performances as energetic and effective as he did in his previous stints at Leeds, Everton and Newcastle, and still has 18 months of his Reebok contract to run, and Allardyce sees no reason why he should not continue to be an influence in the top flight.

"I don't see that Gary's got too many problems that players of his age are normally riddled with as a legacy of a long-playing professional career," he said. "A bad ankle, a bad knee, a bad back or a bad neck . . . . he hasn't got any of those.

"He's been very fortunate from an injury point of view and he still feels he can play on and on. He is still producing the sort of output that is absolutely terrific.

"Most players his age would actually temper their game because they can't do as much running as they used to, or compete as much at that level for that period of time. But he certainly can."

Speed, who has already acquired his UEFA A' and B' licences to give him coaching options when he eventually hangs up his boots, says it will be "glaringly obvious to everybody" when the time comes to retire.

But Allardyce, who continues to marvel at the Welshman's amazing fitness levels, says that is not on the agenda.

"His recovery rate is very good," the manager added. "He's very professional, he does everything we ask him to do to help him recover and he is feeling the benefit of that help."