Alexis Mac Allister and the history of Liverpool's No.10 shirt
Alexis Mac Allister is Liverpool's eighth No.10 of the Premier League era.
The Argentina midfielder became the Reds’ first summer signing on Thursday and follows John Barnes, Michael Owen, Luis Garcia, Andriy Voronin, Joe Cole, Philippe Coutinho and, most recently, Sadio Mane in wearing one of football’s most storied numbers for the Reds since 1992.
Of course, the No.10 was also graced by greats such as Jan Molby, Terry McDermott and John Toshack prior to the advent of the Premier League.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com at the AXA Training Centre, Mac Allister explained that personal preference, rather than any deeper meaning, was behind his decision to take the jersey vacated by Mane a year ago.
“I know how important the No.10 is in football,” the World Cup winner stated.
“I had the possibility to take the No.8 as well, which is a big number for this club because of [Steven] Gerrard, of course. But I decided for No.10 because I used it a lot of times in Argentina, in Brighton, U23s national team as well.
“It’s a number that I really like and that’s why I chose it.”
The previous incumbent, Mane, achieved legendary status at the club as its No.10. The Senegal forward was initially Liverpool’s No.19 but switched in the summer of 2018, two years after joining.
He would duly be a driving force behind the collection of the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Emirates FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophies prior to his departure for Bayern Munich four years later.
Mane inherited the jersey from Coutinho, who wore it with distinction during his five years at Anfield. The Brazilian scored 54 times in 201 appearances after taking over the No.10 from Cole, who left Anfield in the same month Coutinho arrived – January 2013.
Voronin occupied the No.10 before Cole and the Ukrainian scored six goals – including an important Champions League qualifier winner against Toulouse – in 40 appearances after signing in the summer of 2007.
The jersey had previously been worn by a Champions League winner, Garcia, whose name is still sung by Liverpool fans today after his telling contribution during a three-year stay that started in August 2004.
Garcia had taken the No.10 following the departure of, in that same close-season, Owen: an Academy graduate who quickly developed into a global superstar and remains the club’s only winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Owen assumed the shirt following his heroics for England at the 1998 World Cup. It had remained unattached during the 1997-98 season after Barnes’ stellar decade at Anfield had concluded in August 1997.
An icon widely regarded as one of the club’s greatest ever players, Barnes’ feats in the jersey after his arrival from Watford in the summer of 1987 meant he was already synonymous with the No.10 before allotted Premier League squad numbers were formally introduced in 1993-94.
Barnes, now an official club ambassador who was recently honoured with a mural close to Anfield, won two league titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup while scoring 108 times in 407 games for the Reds.