Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to leave Man Utd next year and his exit will free up a legendary shirt number....CONTINUE READING
It used to be a curse, a shirt number that bore too much weight for the occupant and contributed to their demise at Manchester United. At least, that is how the story goes.
Of all the shirts in world football, there are few as symbolic as United’s No.7. The very mention of it conjures up memories of George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo… twice.
For others, the cynics amongst us, it also harbours terrors of Michael Owen, Memphis Depay and Angel di Maria. The pressure of the shirt is so much that Antonio Valencia requested his old number back, such was his demise after wearing it for one season.
Ronaldo’s return last summer and the goals that followed highlighted that it takes a certain type of player to handle such pressure, though Edinson Cavani’s success the season before had already done much of the work.
Cavani became a fan favourite in his first campaign at the club, though it was always asterisked by the very nature of the post-pandemic season and the freak results it produced.
This is expected to be Ronaldo’s last season at United, and with that comes the relinquishing of the famed shirt number, and with it, huge pressure for someone else to fill the void, more so as a leading figure at the club, rather than as a player.
See, all of those who have famously donned the No.7 shirt before have not only been incredibly talented attacking stars, but they’ve also had the personality to match.
Rivals fans will dismiss it as arrogance. There is a degree of that, but more so it is confidence and an incredible amount of self-belief.
Those who have struggled with the shirt haven’t had such unwavering faith in their own abilities, and the doubts have shown.
Rather than being the number for the star player at the club, it became one bestowed upon players they wanted to carry such an influence, through sheer hope rather than a necessary belief.
Such a risk had worked for Ronaldo originally. He had no immediate desire to take the No.7 shirt when he arrived from Sporting Lisbon, but, most importantly, Sir Alex Ferguson believed he could.
That ringing endorsement gave him the confidence to overcome early struggles, and before long, the Portuguese relished the responsibility placed on his shoulders.
United will want their next occupant of the No.7 shirt to be in a similar mould. Someone who is not only super talented and will sell lots of merchandise to keep the commercial department happy, but someone who also has the authority and confidence to ensure they are a success as it.
Right now, there appear to be two leading candidates for the upcoming vacancy. Jadon Sancho wore the No.7 during his time at Borussia Dortmund, and after a slow first season, he has hit the ground running under Erik ten Hag.
The England international certainly has the trickery and talent to be deserving of the honour, though he’ll need to do it on a consistent basis throughout the season if he is to become the unanimous choice.
He’ll be entering his third season at the club by the time Ronaldo is expected to leave and should be well accustomed to his surroundings by that stage, something that might ease the pressure on him to deliver immediately, as others have done in the past.
The other candidate for the role would appear to be Antony. His debut strike against Arsenal proved he has the ability to deliver on the biggest stage, though he will have to do a lot more if he is to live up to his enormous price tag this season.
He has a similar level of self-belief and skills as many of the club’s famous former No.7s and does not appear to be the type of player who would be detrimentally affected by the weight of the shirt number.
Again, the real test here is for Antony to have a full season of success under his belt in order to justify the number switch and prove he is a rightful heir to the legacy.
Of course, there are far more important factors than a squad number, but for Sancho and Antony, it is an achievable goal and a further incentive for them to keep up their hard work this season.
United won’t be able to ever find another Ronaldo, but they’ll need to find another No.7.
