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Here’s the start of a series on the history of shirt numbers. First: the number 1 shirt and goalkeepers, which you think would be straightforward, but is anything but... https://theathletic.com/1533318/2020/01/19/football-shirt-numbers-history/
Number 2. Featuring Arsenal in the 1930s, River Plate in the 1940s, Porto, Inter and Athletic Bilbao... https://theathletic.com/1559045/2020/01/24/michael-cox-iconic-shirt-numbers-no-2/?source=shared-article
Number 3. The magic number. Especially for Juan Pablo Sorin. https://theathletic.com/1574854/2020/02/02/micahel-cox-shirt-numbers-maldini-number-3/?source=shared-article
Guess what's next? No 4. Featuring Stiles, Fabregas, Duffy, and Kanu providing inspiration for two other players. https://theathletic.com/1591206/2020/02/09/michael-cox-iconic-shirt-numbers-no-4-guardiola/?source=shared-article
No 5: a very revered number in Argentina. Also: Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. https://theathletic.com/1608024/2020/02/16/michael-cox-iconic-shirt-numbers-no-5/
No 6. The sixth instalment of the feature that has prompted lots of people to say "I've actually *enjoyed* that series" in a surprised manner that suggests they expected it to be incredibly dull https://theathletic.co.uk/1624881/2020/02/23/michael-cox-shirt-numbers-no-6/
No 7. The number that Manchester United's George Best...usually didn't wear. https://theathletic.co.uk/1642537/2020/03/01/coxs-iconic-shirt-numbers-7-cantona-beckham-george-best-30-of-the-time/
No 8. I feel like this shirt is now more of A Thing than it was 20 years ago. http://theathletic.com/1659037/?source=twitteruk
Number nine...number nine...number nine... https://theathletic.com/1674260/2020/03/15/iconic-shirt-9-newcastle-shearer-batistuta/?source=shared-article
No 10! Perfectly timed for reading ahead of the Maradona film on C4 at 9pm.
https://theathletic.com/1691265/2020/03/21/michael-cox-shirt-no-10-maradona-messi/?source=shared-article
https://theathletic.com/1691265/2020/03/21/michael-cox-shirt-no-10-maradona-messi/?source=shared-article
Guess what's next? It's No 11. https://theathletic.com/1704864/?source=twitteruk
Wasn’t sure there would be enough material for a No12 article. Good news - there was. https://theathletic.com/1721205/2020/04/05/michael-cox-iconic-shirt-numbers-12/?source=shared-article
Here's a double A-side of No 13 and No 14 https://theathletic.co.uk/1735220/2020/04/12/michael-cox-thomas-muller-thierry-henry-johan-cruyff/
In order of status: 23 > 20 > 21 > 17 > 22 > 16 > 19 > 15 > 18. I think. https://theathletic.com/1754135/2020/04/19/michael-cox-shirt-numbers-rapinoe-beckham-pirlo-kaka/?source=shared-article
The FINAL instalment in the shirt number series: featuring square roots, more players doing a Zamorano, why no-one in Brazil wanted No 24 and John Terry being subbed off in the 28th minute https://theathletic.com/1771684/2020/04/26/coxs-iconic-shirt-numbers-no-24-etc-heartfelt-tributes-maths-and-john-terry/?source=shared-article
