Manchester United have confirmed their squad numbers for the new season, and the headline news is that for the first time since the lost city of Atlantis slipped beneath the waves, the No. 11 shirt does not belong to Ryan Giggs. With his retirement, the ancient and venerable shirt has been handed down to Adnan Januzaj. Let's hope they washed it first.
United's two new signings, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, will wear Nos. 3 and 21 respectively. Other numbers of note include Anderson being given No. 28 and Nick Powell taking No. 22. Of the numbers left unclaimed, meanwhile, the most significant are Nos. 5 and 7. You might be thinking Arturo Vidal and Angel di Maria. We couldn't possibly comment.
Full numbers for the new season, shamelessly copied from the club website:
1. De Gea; 2. Rafael; 3. Shaw; 4. Jones; 6. Evans; 8. Mata; 10. Rooney; 11. Januzaj; 12. Smalling; 13. Lindegaard; 14. Chicharito; 16. Carrick; 17. Nani; 18. Young; 19. Welbeck; 20. van Persie; 21. Herrera; 22. Powell; 23. Cleverley; 24. Fletcher; 25. Valencia; 26. Kagawa; 28. Anderson; 29. Zaha; 30. Varela; 31. Fellaini; 34. Lawrence; 35. Lingard; 36. Vermijl; 38. M Keane; 39. Thorpe; 40. Amos; 41. James; 42. Blackett; 45. Petrucci; 46. Rothwell; 48. W Keane; 49. Wilson; 50. Johnstone.