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Mason Mount Is No. 7, Sunil Chhetri No. 11: What Jersey Numbers Mean In Football

Numbers are often an indicator of a player’s skill set and x-factor.

Akshay Sawai

Updated on: 6 July 2023 5:42 am

Mason Mount posing in the iconic 'number 7' shirt of Manchester United.

What’s in a number? Shakespeare might have wondered had he been a football fan. (More Football News)

There’s plenty.

Mason Mount’s transfer to Manchester United, and the coveted No. 7 shirt he has been assigned, have been a subject of much discussion. The No.7 shirt comes with history and pedigree. It has been worn by United legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, George Best and Eric Cantona.

Outside of United, seven adorned the backs of greats such as Garrincha and Luis Figo.

So who’s a typical No. 7 player?

He’s usually a right-winger or a striker. The man who will score goals or deliver a match-winning cross from the flanks.

“The number 7 shirt is an honor and a responsibility,” Ronaldo once said. There is a reason he is called CR7.

There are no hard and fast rules, though. Numbers and positions can mix. In the Indian football team, which recently conquered the SAFF Championship, midfielder Anirudh Thapa wears No. 7.

In the past, the basic objective of jersey numbers was to differentiate player roles. Typically, the No. 1 jersey has been worn by the goalkeeper. Tops no. 2, 3, 4, 5 and six are often for defenders. And then come the attackers.

Leftbacks Paolo Maldini and Roberto Carlos played hundreds of games in No. 3. Keepers Oliver Kahn and Gianluigi Buffon are among those who graced the No.1 shirt. Likewise with the Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Sandhu, one of the heroes of the SAFF Championship final against Kuwait.

That said, several great goalkeepers opted for numbers other than one. They include Gianluigi Donnarumma and Thibaut Courtois.

The Number 9 is also a prestige shirt in football. It is normally worn by a team’s main striker. Some of the famous No. 9s in history are Ronaldo Nazario, Marco Van Basten, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Each was extremely skillful, and in some cases a strong personality as well. The kind who could pull crowds and become the face of his team.

There are times when even numbers beyond 11 are worn by players, and end up becoming iconic. The Dutch master Johan Cruyff, whose footballing wizardry and hipster charisma made him a superstar of the sport, was a No. 14.

It happened by accident.

Gerrie Muhren, a teammate of Cruyff’s at Ajax, couldn’t find his shirt before a game against arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven. Cruyff, a No. 9 then, lent him his. And then picked a spare shirt for himself from the dressing room. It happened to be No. 14.

Ajax won the game. Cruyff took this as a good omen, and stuck to No. 14. Now, he is forever linked with No. 14 in the minds of fans.

Of course, No. 10 remains the most hallowed jersey in football. It is a universally recognized symbol of excellence. When you are No. 10, you are the team’s main guy. And usually he happens to be a creative midfielder and captain who can rally his team, split open defences with his passing, as well as score. Pele, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi were 10s. Enough said.

Many would expect Sunil Chhetri, the inspirational Indian skipper, to be a No. 10. But he prefers 11. It’s a number traditionally assigned to attackers like Chhetri. And with the likes of Neymar, Didier Drogba and Romario having played in No. 11, Chhetri is deservedly in elite company.

As for Shakespeare, if there ever was a match of artists and writers, he would be the automatic No. 10.