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England’s golden generation of players will start their EURO campaign on Sunday against Croatia amidst huge expectations. Since the early 2000s, England have always possessed extraordinary players in their ranks, yet remarkably they have not won anything during this period. England’s EURO 2020 shirt numbers were revealed recently to the press.
In EURO 2020, England players will inherit some of the most famous squad numbers, which only adds to the already humongous expectations. In this article, we will talk about England’s EURO 2020 shirt numbers and the rich history of those numbers.
Defenders and goal keepers
Among England’s EURO 2020 shirt numbers, number one is reserved for Jordan Pickford. He is likely to start in goal, although England fans would prefer number 13 Dean Henderson due to his league form. Sam Johnstone will wear 23, but he is very unlikely to play in the tournament.
Walker will wear the number 2 jersey, while Trippier will inherit the number 13 shirt. Reece James will feature with the same Jersey number 24 which he also wears for Chelsea. First choice central defenders Maguire and Stones will sport number 5 and number 6 respectively. Luke Shaw will wear #3 while number 21 will be worn by his back-up Ben Chilwell.
Jersey number 15, 16 and 22 will go to England’s backup central defenders Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady and Ben White. Conor Coady might start if Southgate decides to play three defenders at the back. In this group, it is Harry Maguire who carries a great burden as his number 6 was previously worn by John Terry, Sol Campbell and Gareth Southgate himself.
Luke Shaw has inherited Ashely Cole’s position and number while Stones’ number five once belonged to Rio Ferdinand. The right-backs and goalkeepers do not have big history to their numbers as England always lacked quality players in those areas.
Midfielders and Forwards
Among the midfielders, Henderson will inherit Lampard’s favourite number 8. He will be looking to replicate the Chelsea legend’s unforgettable performances in that shirt. Declan Rice too has a big task of replacing Gerrard as he will wear the number 4 shirt. Back-up midfielders Jude Bellingham and Kalvin Phillips will wear number 26 and number 14 jerseys respectively.
If Southgate prefers three at the back, England might field just one among Henderson and Rice. In that case, the creative and exciting Jude Bellingham might feature alongside Henderson. Phillips might also get a chance as he is capable of dictating the play with his passing.
The number seven shirt is probably the most significant of England’s EURO 2020 squad shirt numbers. It has been previously worn by David Beckham, arguably England’s last great playmaker. Now Jack Grealish has the unenviable task of replicating Beckham’s performances in that shirt.
Mason Mount will wear the number 19 shirt which has not had many takers in the past. Foden will wear the number 20 while Bukayo Saka will wear the number 25 shirt, which did not previously exist. Foden will like to come on as a substitute in the initial games while Saka might warm the bench for the entirety of the tournament.
The number 9 shirt which belongs to Harry Kane now was once worn by Bobby Charlton. Charlton played a pivotal part in England’s World Cup victory in 1966. Kane’s deputy Dominic Calvert Lewin will wear the number 18 shirt while Jadon Sancho will get the number 17.
United’s Marcus Rashford and City’s Raheem Sterling will wear the number 10 and 11 respectively. Both were sure starters a year ago, but the rise of Foden and Grealish has put their chances in doubt.