Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

Retired shirt numbers: Clubs and players to give & receive honour

Clubs commemorate their best stars by naming stadiums after them or building statues, but they also retire shirt numbers

Player-specific squad numbers have become a normal part of football since the abandonment of a simple one to 11 numbering system and some players are forever associated with certain numbers.

The number 10, for example, is usually associated with the creative heart of a team - think Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona - while number four might be a defensive midfielder or centre-back.

Cristiano Ronaldo followed a long line of famous number sevens at Manchester United - including George Best and David Beckham - subsequently making it a central component of his brand, CR7.