Yeah, that’s all fine. Makes it more interesting when not all players want the same most popular numbers. I’m not one of those that screams for 1-11 or that a RB needs to be #2. It’s impossible in today’s game with larger squads than before. But they also don’t have to be 1-22 or 25 either. It’s just those basketball numbers…
The best one is Root 66.
Anything else is a pale imitation.
@Flobs’ search for self has culminated in understanding
We don’t retire numbers. You just count your blessings you had the privilege of being the custodian of the shirt with that number on it.
It’s not a players number, it’s the clubs to bestow on who they wish and you get to borrow it whilst you’re here.
There are literally dozens of far greater players than Trent who didn’t have their numbers retired.
He’s got a long long way to go to get anywhere near top 30 greatest ever Liverpool players.
Its great people are getting wound up by nothing.
If we were to retire numbers on the legends who’ve played for us before…
The fact that his brother; who on the face of it; has not achieved a thing of merit in his entire life, should suggest LFC retire the number 66 shirt because it is connected to TAA, he is quite frankly, talking through his arse…!
TAA is a full back full stop. The likes of which we have not witnessed coming through the academy at Anfield before needs no further praise… but but but… retire his shirt number.. get to fuck.
It is to be remembered, when/if Trent plays for RM next season, every single team they come up against will target him as a weak link in their defence… If he begins to get slaughtered in the games, won’t be long before he gets slaughtered in the press, and the fanbase itself - This transfer could still go down as one of the biggest mistakes ever made by a player… especially if Trent has been taking advice from that brother of his.
Once he leaves LFC, I wish him no ill-will, nor would I wish him a roaring success if it came at a cost to ourselves in the CL
I don’t really understand retiring the number for football. It’s an American thing that occasionally happens for leading players. It’s not a Premier League football thing.
Further, the numbers are all over the place these days. How many number 66s have we had before Trent? Is the concern we will now have a raft of quality number 66s coming through, so whatever Trent has achieved will be diluted if they wear ‘his’ shirt?
It’s a nonsense!
I’m pretty sure it was rather common in continental football. Mainly for deaths though, and relatively recent thanks to the old rules that used to require sequential numbering.
27 for Baník Ostrava has been retired, I’ll leave readers of this post to figure out who that would be. City retired 23, for Vivien-Foé. West Ham retired 6 for Bobby Moore. Beckenbauer’s 5 at Bayern Munich has been retired, as have 3 and 6 for AC Milan (Maldini and Baresi respectively). See List of retired numbers in association football - Wikipedia for more.
As for 66 with us, I’d say perhaps if Alexander-Arnold stays and won several quadruples with us then perhaps, but if we haven’t retired numbers for the likes of Liddell or Dalglish or Rush… (@cynicaloldgit don’t come and throw other names at me like Elisha Scott)
EDIT: There are at least two former Liverpool names too many on that list… RIP Miki Roque and Besian Idrizaj.
Anyone else hurriedly Google Milan Baros to check he hadn’t died? -_-
As for shirt retirements in this country, the most recent one I can think of was Birmingham retiring 18-year-old Bellingham’s shirt when he left them for Dortmund, which I did and still do think was absolutely ridiculous…
Why don’t they change the shirt numbers every season? Imagine how good it would be for shirt sales. Plus all the plonkers who buy them would get very annoyed.
Free marketing advice from Rambler & co.
Unfortunately, a lot of this is about marketing, and player branding. Jordan was known for his #23 and Becks started down that line after leaving Utd. Having an uncommon number now allows that to become part of your brand in a way wearing #7 doesnt.
Trying to think when it happened in the PL. I think the shirt #25 was unofficially retired by Chelsea for quite a while after Zola left.
But I think they’ve gone past that.
Chelsea ran out of numbers so had to bring 25 back
Caicedo wanted it. Hence the number was back in circulation.
And on the topic of numbers, we’ve got quite a lot of unused numbers. Even the otherwise fancy ones too.
6 - previously held by Thiago , I suspect Grav will get that number the coming season.
And others as well. Including quite a lot of numbers from 10-20.
One way for this is for the club to ensure that the frontline players are given numbers according to their positions and the assigning of those numbers depends on the coach. Will avoid Trent’s brother trying to lay claim to the #66 , largely for commercial purposes.
Also the best thing the club can do in this is to ensure that the concerned number is back in circulation as quickly as possible.
Yep.
Gravenberch is familiar with 38, so I think he will stay with it.
Mamardashvili might pick his 25, like Reina loved and kept that number. We’ll see when Ali leaves though.
But really what I’d like to see is the likes of Quansah and Bradley get more normal numbers. Bajcetic also, if he’s here next season.
Like Elliott went from 67 to 19.
Trent’s 66 doesn’t bother me that much, another kid/talent will get it and we move on, doesn’t have to be something extra special.