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Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the number 7 shirt on his return to Manchester United. The Red Devils have confirmed that the 36-year-old Portuguese superstar will be reunited with the legendary number he wore in his first spell.
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The club asked the English Premier League to allow a shirt change and they accepted so now Ronaldo replaces Edinson Cavani, who switches to number 21 — the number he wears for Uruguay. Ronaldo said: “I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to have the No 7 shirt again, so I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi for his incredible gesture.” Man Utd fans can look forward to seeing Ronaldo back in his shirt at Old Trafford when he makes his second debut against Newcastle on September 11.
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Garrincha: There have been many brilliant players to wear the number 7 shirt, we take a look at them starting with legendary Brazil star Manuel Francisco dos Santos, more commonly known as Garrincha. In the absence of Pele, he played a key role in Brazil's successful title defence in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. The Brazilian is arguably one of the finest dribblers of all time.
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George Best: One of the most legendary players in the history of football, the Man Utd winger was renowned for his dribbling skills, two-footedness and his ability to run in behind defenders. Sadly, the late Northern Ireland star was one of the best players never to have graced a major international tournament. During a glorious club career he won two league titles, two Super Cups as well as an FA Cup and European Champions Club Cup, now called the Champions League.
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Kevin Keegan: He wore the iconic number 7 jersey during his six-season stint at Anfield from 1971 to 1977. One of the most decorated players in the history of Liverpool, he scored 90 goals and got 56 assists in all competitions with the English giants and won three league titles, as many titles in Europe and one FA Cup.
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Luis Figo: He wore number 7 for Sporting Lisbon and then at Barcelona where he won back-to-back league and Spanish Cup titles at the club. Then he switched to rivals Real Madrid but didn't get that number, not that it mattered as he got 56 goals and 93 assists to propel the Bernabeu side to two La Liga titles and a Champions League triumph. He then joined Inter Milan and was reunited with the number 7 again and he won four consecutive league titles there.
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Eric Cantona: The Frenchman joined Man Utd from Leeds and became a crowd favourite at Old Trafford by scoring incredible goals and winning trophies aplenty. His 61 goals and 81 assists in four-and-a-half seasons at the club delivered a rich haul of four English Premier League trophies, five Super Cups and two FA Cups.
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David Beckham: When Cantona left Utd, Beckham inherited the number 7 shirt. He was renowned for his crossing ability from the right wing and especially for his free kick prowess. With 127 goals scored and 202 assists during a successful club career for six different teams, he is one of the most iconic number 7s in the history of the game.
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Raul: The Spanish international is one of the most famous number 7s in the Real Madrid’s illustrious history. He won six league trophies, three Champions League titles and scored 323 goals for the Spanish giants before leaving for Schalke in 2010.
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Franck Ribery: The Frenchman inherited Bayern Munich's number 7 jersey from the retiring Mehmet Scholl in 2007 and is only the second-ever foreigner to win Germany’s Player of the Year award. After scoring 124 goals and getting 182 assists he ended his Bayern stint with 23 titles – a record nine of them being Bundesliga triumphs.
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Bastian Schweinsteiger: The German became synonymous with the number 7 jersey while playing for the national team but never wore it in his club career. He wore the number 31 during his 13 seasons with Bayern Munich, two with Manchester United and three with the Chicago Bulls in the MLS. He was more of a hardworking player than an out-and-out winger which endeared him to fans.
Image Credit: AFP