The best number seven players over the last decade of football
The number seven jersey is traditionally given to one of the best players of the team and along with the number nine and ten, it is probably the most sought after shirt number through the ages. Over the past decade, the world of football has witnessed some
amazing players who have put on this number, and here is a list of some of the best number seven’s of the last decade.
David Beckham – Manchester United, England
Manchester United’s youth system has produced some great players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville but David Beckham is undoubtedly the most recognizable of the number sevens in the world of football. Known for his inch perfect passing and amazing
free-kicks, Beckham made a name for himself with a number of impressive performances and also his lifestyle off the pitch. Beckham captained England in two World Cups and wore the number seven jersey both times. England fans will forever remember him for the
free-kick he scored in injury time against Greece to secure a place for his National side at the World Cup.
Beckham’s position at the club became so strong that manager Sir Alex Ferguson apparently decided he wanted to sell the star because he was threatening to become bigger than the club itself. One of the most famous celebrities in the world, Beckham’s fame
continued to grow even after his move away from Manchester United but unfortunately he could not build on the number seven legacy he had started because he was given the number 23 shirt.
Andriy Shevchenko – AC Milan, Ukraine
After transferring from Dynamo Kyiv, Shevchenko made himself an AC Milan legend with some of the best displays of striking the world has seen. Known to the Milan fans simply as ‘Sheva’, the Ukrainian striker became Milan’s second highest goal scorer of all
time after passing Gianni Rivera. After ending his career at the club, Shevchenko had accumulated 175 goals in 322 appearances for the club in a career spanning eight years at the club. During his time in Milan, Shevchenko famously scored four times in the
same match and became only the third person to do so in the history of the competition.
Shevchenko also got the number seven jersey when he went to Chelsea but unfortunately due to Chelsea’s reliance on the 4-3-3 system, starting opportunities were limited and so he failed to build on what he had achieved while at Milan. A move to his home
club of Dynamo Kyiv could reignite the career of one of the best strikers in the last decade.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United, Real Madrid, Portugal
Beckham’s popularity at Manchester United was such that many thought giving the young Cristiano Ronaldo the number seven jersey was a bad idea but Sir Alex’s faith in the youngster was repaid as Ronaldo took the world of football by storm, winning the World
Player of the Year in the process and being known as CR7. Ronaldo has everything a number seven should have. He has one of the best free-kicks in the world, dribbles with ease and can score with headers too.
After being bought by Real Madrid in a record 80 million pound transfer, Ronaldo was given the number 9 in his first season but after star striker Raul announced his departure from the club, Ronaldo made it clear that he wanted to wear the number seven shirt
in the new season. Being Ronaldo the player got just what he wanted and if he manages to continue the same form during the coming seasons, he might just go down as the best number seven player ever.
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