Manchester United have confirmed that new £80m signing Harry Maguire will wear the club's number five shirt, made famous in the Premier League era by Rio Ferdinand, a player Maguire is believed to have been a big fan of while growing up.
The jersey has also been assigned to Lee Sharpe, Ronny Johnsen and Laurent Blanc since fixed squad numbers were introduced in 1993. Most recently, it had been occupied by Marcos Rojo until the Argentine left it vacant last summer in order to switch to his preferred number 16.
Confirmation that @HarryMaguire93 is #MUFC's new no.5️⃣
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2019
Maguire wore 15 for Leicester and has typically occupied the number six shirt for England since becoming a regular at international level. But five was the obvious choice for him at United.
Maguire completed his high profile move from Leicester at the start of this week and wasted little time in setting out what he wants to help his new club achieve.
"From my conversations with the manager, I am excited about the vision and plans he has for the team," he said. "It's clear to see that Ole is building a team to win trophies. I am now looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and getting the season started."
United have handed fellow new signings Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka the number 21 and 29 shirts respectively. The club is yet to confirm the overall list of squad numbers for the new Premier League season and it is possible there could yet be some changes.
Scott McTominay has become an important member of the team since the end of last season and many fans would like to see the young Scotland international wear a number more befitting of a first team regular. He has worn 39 since making his senior debut in 2017.
Source : 90min