Do You Know; Facts About Squad Numbers?

Premier League Squad Number Rules

When the 2023/24 season kicks off on Saturday 12 August 2023 fans will see a change to the shirt names, numbers, and sleeve badges.

Avery Dennison, the Premier League’s official name, number, and sleeve badge supplier, has revealed the newly designed font and embellishments which will feature on next season’s Premier League shirts.

Every time a new kit comes out is a new opportunity for clubs to cash in. But that isn’t the end of it, players can even change squad numbers, demanding the most loyal of fans to once again reach deep into their wallets.

Can Premier League Players Wear Any Number?

In the Premier League, players can wear any number on their kit as long as it is unique within their squad. The only stipulation from the league is that the number must be between 1 and 99.
Many football fans think higher numbers are only worn in the Italian Seria A.

In the rules of the modern game, players can wear just about any number regardless of position. However, most outfield players in the starting eleven will usually wear the numbers 2-11 which are traditionally correlated to the position.

Following this time-honored tradition, most goalkeepers will wear the number 1 or 13.

Can You Wear Number 99 in the Premier League?

Players in the Premier League can wear the number 99. This is the highest squad number allowed by the league.

While the Premier League allows players to wear numbers between 1-99, it is rare to see numbers on the higher end of that scale. It is especially rare to see a player sporting the number 99.

History was made in December 2019 during an EFL Cup quarterfinal between Aston Villa and Liverpool, when Tom Hill becomes the first player in the history of English football to wear the number 99 in a competitive match.

Highest Shirt Number in Premier League History

The highest number worn by a player in the Premier League was 76. When Man City’s Manu Garcia made his league debut, his squad number 76 beat out that of his teammate Kelechi Iheanacho’s number 72 worn during the same season.

When Did Squad Numbers Come into Football?

The first recorded use of football squad numbers dates back to 1911. The match was between Sydney Leichhardt and HMS Powerful of Australia.

The first club to use squad numbers in England was the amateur football club, English Wanderers. The amateurs donned their squad numbers while taking on Corinthians at Stamford Bridge in 1914. There must have been some magic dust on those kits because the Wanderers emerged victorious in a 4-2 outing.