Mount wears 'legendary' number 7 shirt at Man Utd

Newcomer Mason Mount was unexpectedly given the number 7 shirt at Man Utd, most recently belonging to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

The number 7 shirt at Man Utd is considered a "legend" because many famous players have worn this shirt throughout their career at the club, such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo. But when Ronaldo left Man Utd in the summer of 2009, no player wearing the number 7 shirt had left the same impact as his predecessors. These players are Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Angel di Maria, Memphis Depay, Alexis Sanchez or Edinson Cavani.

Mason Mount with shirt number 7 at Man Utd. Photo: MUFC — Mason Mount with shirt number 7 at Man Utd. Photo: *MUFC*

In the summer of 2021, Ronaldo returned to Man Utd and asked Cavani to let him wear the number 7 shirt again. But the Portuguese superstar's return did not make the same impression as before, and he left the team at the end of 2022 after terminating his contract early. Since then, Man Utd's number 7 shirt has been vacant.

This number is usually reserved for wingers or strikers, so Mount's decision to wear it was a surprise. The British media initially assumed Mount would wear the familiar number 19 shirt, as he did at Chelsea. 19-year-old left-back Alejandro Garnacho was also eyeing the number 7 shirt, but he was denied a late deal due to Mount's presence. However, there are central midfielders who have worn the number 7 shirt at Man Utd, like Robson.

Robson once said that the trust given to players wearing the No. 7 shirt came from Best's time, and he was proud to wear it for 12 years at Man Utd. After Robson left, Cantona was given the shirt, although he preferred No. 10. "But No. 7 is important to Man Utd, it belongs to a player who plays freely and creatively," Cantona explained. "Coach Alex Ferguson gave it to me and I liked it immediately, because I like to play freely like on the street."

Cantona left Man Utd in 1997 and the number 7 shirt was given to the young talent at the time, David Beckham. Like Cantona, Beckham preferred number 10 and he cried when he didn't get it. "But my dad is a big Man Utd fan, so he was very proud that I got to wear number 7," Beckham said.

Beckham left Man Utd in the summer of 2003 to join Real Madrid, but his No. 7 shirt immediately had a new owner. Coach Ferguson surprised everyone by giving it to 18-year-old rookie Ronaldo. "I already know what No. 7 means at Man Utd, so when I received this shirt from Ferguson, I was very emotional," Ronaldo said. "He is an experienced coach, and giving me this shirt shows how much he believes in me."

Mount wears 'legendary' number 7 shirt at Man Utd — Man Utd announced Mason Mount will wear the number 7 shirt.

Best, Beckham and Ronaldo are the three players who wore the number 7 shirt in the three times Man Utd won the European Cup or Champions League. Robson wore this shirt when Man Utd won the Premier League for the first time, while Cantona helped the team become a force in the league.

Mount is now 24 years old, having trained at Chelsea since he was 6 years old. He was Chelsea's best player in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, helping the team win the 2021 Champions League. He joined Man Utd for an initial transfer fee of 69 million USD, signing a five-year contract with the "Red Devils".

Hoang An

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