Manchester United have confirmed new squad numbers for home-grown youngsters Mason Greenwood and Brendan Williams, with Greenwood set to wear the club’s iconic No.11 shirt, made famous by Old Trafford legend Ryan Giggs.
Williams, meanwhile, has been given number 33, having worn number 53 during his debut season.
Greenwood initially wore 54 when he made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in the latter half of the 2018/19 campaign. He turned 26 in 2019/20, enjoying a breakout year and scoring 17 goals.
Greenwood scored 17 goals for Man Utd in 2019/20 / WOLFGANG RATTAY/Getty Images
Even at just 18, the young forward, who has now also been called up to England’s senior squad, is an established part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s forward-looking plans.
Giggs was the first player to wear 11 for United when fixed squad numbers were introduced to English football in 1993 and retained it until his retirement in 2014, 21 years later.
It later went to Adnan Januzaj after his breakout season in 2013/14, but the Belgian youngster wilted under the pressure. Anthony Martial inherited it in 2016 when his number nine shirt was given to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, before the Frenchman took the number nine shirt again last summer.
The No.11 has since been vacant at Old Trafford for the past 12 months, but Greenwood has the talent and ability to live up to history and do the jersey justice.
Brandon Williams converted from 53 to 33 / DeFodi Images/Getty Images
33 was not commonly worn by United players and past wearers include 1990s talent Mark Wilson, former winger Chris Eagles and Northern Ireland centre-back Paddy McNair. Flop winger Baby is perhaps the most high-profile occupant of the 33 shirt.
New signing Donnie van de Beek has already been assigned the number 34 shirt at his request, a nod to honor close friend and former Ajax teammate Abdelhak Nouri, who played in a pre-season game in 2017. The brain was permanently damaged after the fall.
United have currently not confirmed any further squad number changes or updates ahead of the 2020/21 season, which kicks off for the club against Crystal Palace on September 19.
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