What can we read into the England squad numbers, including the number ’11’ shirt Danny Welbeck will be wearing?
England have announced their squad numbers for the upcoming World Cup. The 23-man squad has excited many people for the inclusion of youthful players such as Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw and now those players know just what numbers will be on the back of their Three Lions shirts this summer.
1. Joe Hart
2. Glen Johnson
3. Leighton Baines
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Gary Cahill
6. Phil Jagielka
7. Jack Wilshere
8. Frank Lampard
9. Daniel Sturridge
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Daniel Welbeck
12. Chris Smalling
13. Ben Foster
14. Jordan Henderson
15. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
16. Phil Jones
17. James Milner
18. Rickie Lambert
19. Raheem Sterling
20. Adam Lallana
21. Ross Barkley
22. Fraser Forster
23. Luke Shaw
Some of the numbers don’t come as a surprise. Joe Hart will wear number ‘1’; Rooney number ’10’ and Steven Gerrard number ‘4’.
Others are interesting. Jack Wilshere’s number ‘7’ suggests he is still considered a starter for England while the number ‘8’ Frank Lampard will wear harks to his vice-captain status.
But the number that did stand out in my eyes was the one given to Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck.
The forward will wear the number ’11’ shirt in Brazil.
In Roy Hodgson’s time in charge of the England team he has been a big fan of Welbeck from the off, but usually playing the lightning quick United man out wide rather than through his favoured position, down the middle.
Could his squad number signify the fact Hodgson again plans on using him on the left-hand side?
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