Ipswich Town Football Club's Unexpected Link to Ed Sheeran's Jersey Number 17
Football is a game steeped in tradition, and one of the most fascinating traditions is the assignment of honorary shirt numbers. These special numbers are often given to players or individuals to commemorate a milestone, pay tribute to someone influential, or simply to symbolize a unique identity. Here are ten captivating examples of honorary football shirt numbers:
1. Number 00 - Tim Howard (Everton)
American goalkeeper Tim Howard made history by wearing the number 00 for Everton in the Premier League. The unusual number symbolized his unique identity as a player.
2. Number 12 - The "12th Man"
Many clubs retire the number 12 to honour their fans, symbolising the supporters as the "12th player" on the pitch. This tradition is common in Germany and Turkey.
3. Number 6 - Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
Though a standard number, Beckenbauer’s number 6 became iconic, and Bayern Munich sometimes use it symbolically to honour the legendary player and manager.
4. Number 10 - Pelé (Santos and Brazil)
Pelé made the number 10 legendary in football, turning it into the universal symbol for a star playmaker.
5. Number 14 - Johan Cruyff (Ajax and Barcelona)
Cruyff popularized number 14, which was unconventional at the time. Many players honour him by wearing 14 in tribute.
6. Number 1 (retired) - Gianluigi Buffon (Parma)
Parma retired Buffon’s number 1 shirt after he left, honouring his legendary career at the club.
7. Number 9 (retired) - Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
Newcastle United retired the number 9 shirt in honour of Shearer, their record goalscorer.
8. Number 23 - David Beckham (LA Galaxy and Real Madrid)
Beckham famously wore 23, inspired by basketball star Michael Jordan, making it a symbolic number in football.
9. Number 10 (retired) - Diego Maradona (Napoli)
Napoli retired the number 10 shirt in honour of Maradona’s legendary impact on the club.
10. Number 96 - Honorary number for Hillsborough disaster victims (Liverpool FC)
Liverpool FC often wear or acknowledge the number 96, commemorating the 96 victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.
Unique cases in football history include Edgar Davids, who wore the number one while serving as player-manager for Barnet, and Jorge Campos, who played as both a goalkeeper and a forward, consistently wearing the number nine.
In the 2013-14 season, Edgar Davids, while serving as player-manager for Barnet, chose to wear the number one. More recently, Ed Sheeran acquired a 1.4% stake in Ipswich Town in August 2024, and the number 17 shirt, granted to him at the kickoff of the 2021-22 season, has been the best-selling shirt at Ipswich Town for the past four years.
The practice of assigning unique shirt numbers to individuals, as with Ed Sheeran and Ivan Zamorano, is not uncommon in football history. For instance, during the 1978 World Cup, Argentina's Norberto Alonso wore the number one shirt as jersey numbers were determined alphabetically, leaving goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol to don the number five.
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It's worth noting that the number 17 shirt was not worn by a player during Ipswich's 2024-25 season in the Premier League. However, Ed Sheeran, a renowned musician, owns the number 17 shirt at Ipswich Town.
Ivan Zamorano, a former Inter Milan player, wore the number 1+8 in the late 1990s, inheriting the number nine from Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Jorge Campos, the former Mexican goalkeeper who also played as a forward, consistently wore the number nine throughout his career.
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Sports often involve unique traditions, such as assigning honorary shirt numbers in football. For instance, David Beckham famously wore the number 23, inspired by basketball star Michael Jordan, making it a symbolic number in football. Additionally, Liverpool FC often acknowledge the number 96, commemorating the 96 victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.
