Manchester United’s Number 7s After Ronaldo As Mount Takes Up Iconic Shirt

Mason Mount completed his £60 million move to Manchester United and was unveiled this morning after passing medicals yesterday. It was revealed that he would wear the number 7 shirt, which was a surprise.

The number was last worn by Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club for Al-Nassr in January, and by legends including George Best, David Beckham, and Eric Cantona.

Sports Brief looks at the players who have worn the iconic number after Ronaldo first vacated it in 2009 when he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer: Is CR7 leaving Manchester United and which clubs are likely to acquire him?

Football

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Yes, you read that right. The last player to wear the iconic number after the Portuguese superstar first vacated it in 2009 is the man himself. He made an emotional homecoming in 2021 and scored 18 goals in his first season. Things soon went awry, and his contract was terminated before he joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

2. Edinson Cavani

The Uruguayan joined United in the summer of 2020 after Paris Saint-Germain released him. He spent two seasons at the club and never looked under any jersey curse. He scored 17 goals in all competitions in his final season, in which he wore number 21 after vacating number 7 due to Ronaldo’s return.

3. Alexis Sanchez

The Chilean joined the Red Devils from Arsenal in January 2018 with the famous piano announcement video and was handed number 7. He was grossly underwhelming and was loaned to Inter Milan in 2019 before moving permanently in 2020. 90min noted that he cost the club around £28,800 for each touch of the ball he made, £19.8m for every Premier League goal, and £40m in total wages.

4. Memphis Depay

One of Dutch football’s brightest stars, Memphis Depay failed to cut it at United. He moved to Lyon after two years and rediscovered his career. He has played for Barcelona since then and currently plays for Atletico Madrid.

5. Angel Di Maria

The pacy and skilful Argentine winger looked out of place at United from the first minute and appeared uninterested. He left Old Trafford for Paris Saint-Germain after just one season, and his career blossomed. He is a free agent after leaving Juventus and is expected to return to his former club, Benfica.

6. Antonio Valencia

The Ecuadorian was signed after Ronaldo left in 2009. He was offered the jersey but rejected it and chose number 25. He took number 7 three years later, but spent just a season in it before vacating it and returning to his former number, claiming he was comfortable in the 25.

7. Michael Owen

At 30, he was signed as Ronaldo’s replacement and assigned the iconic shirt. Age and injuries caught up with him, but he won the league title in 2011 and admitted, “If you can’t beat them, you join them”, referring to his ties with Liverpool, who had not won the title in 20 years.

Clubs with cursed jersey numbers

Sports Brief previously analysed football clubs with cursed jersey numbers, including the Red Devils’ number 7, all of whom have combined for lesser success since Ronaldo left.

Another famous cursed jersey in football is Chelsea’s number 9, a curse that does not look like it will end anytime soon. Barcelona’s number 7 is another one of those tabooed jerseys.

Mount imitates Ronaldo’s freekick technique

Sports Brief also reported that Mount is a Ronaldo fanboy, and he spoke about how he modelled his freekick technique after the Portuguese from his days at Cobham Academy.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is one of football’s greatest influencers. With his lifestyle and goal celebrations, he is a model for colleagues and young players.