Fred in his training kit.

Can you name United's eight previous no.17s?

Friday 27 July 2018 14:00

Our summer signing Fred has become the latest player to wear Manchester United’s number 17 shirt.

The Brazilian midfielder follows in the footsteps of Daley Blind, who had worn the jersey for four years before returning to Ajax.

Take a look at the history behind the shirt…

Daley Blind (2014 to 2018)
The Dutchman wore no.17 for United during his four-season stay at the club, following his arrival from Dutch giants Ajax in the summer of 2014. The versatile defender scored six goals in 141 Reds appearances and won four major trophies during his time at Old Trafford – including the UEFA Europa League, when United beat his current club Ajax 2-0 in the 2017 final in Stockholm.

Blind completes transfer from United to Ajax

 Article

Daley will return to his homeland and everybody at Old Trafford wishes him well for the future.

Nani (2007 to 2015)
The Portuguese winger – who took the same path as his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, from Sporting Lisbon to Old Trafford, in 2008 – occupied the shirt during his eight years at the club. A popular figure among United fans, he netted 41 times in 230 games before returning to Sporting on loan in the summer of 2014. Nani left the club on a permanent basis the following year, joining Robin van Persie at Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

Henrik Larsson (2007)
One of the shortest occupiers of the no.17 jersey, the much-travelled Swedish striker spent three months on loan at United from Helsingborg – between January and March 2007, coinciding with the Swedish top flight’s off-season. During his brief stint at Old Trafford, the former Celtic and Barcelona frontman made a positive impression, scoring three goals in 13 appearances.

Liam Miller (2004 to 2006)
The late Republic of Ireland international wore the shirt during his two seasons at the club, after leaving Scottish club Celtic in the summer of 2004. He netted twice in 22 appearances and spent three quarters of the 2005/06 campaign on loan at Leeds United in the Championship, before linking up with Sunderland – who were managed by former United captain Roy Keane – in the same division at the end of the season. Miller sadly passed away in February, just four days shy of his 37th birthday.

Miller made a good start to his United career but found first-team chances hard to come by.

Michael Stewart (2002/03)
Despite spending seven years in the first team after coming through the ranks, the ex-Scotland international pulled on the no.17 jersey just 14 times in the 2002/03 season. He spent time out on loan at Nottingham Forest and Heart of Midlothian, before the Edinburgh-born midfielder left United to join his boyhood club Hibernian in the summer of 2005.

Raymond van der Gouw (1996 to 2002)
It’s rare that a goalkeeper has worn the no.17 shirt in United’s history but the Dutch stopper did just that throughout his spell at the club, as both a player and a goalkeeping coach. He won six trophies with the Reds, whom he joined from Vitesse Arnhem in his homeland, and kept 25 clean sheets in 60 appearances, before departing to join West Ham United in June 2002.

Van der Gouw brought a wealth of experience to United's goalkeeping ranks.

Andy Cole (1995 to 1996)
The prolific striker briefly donned no.17 after setting a new record for the most expensive British transfer upon his arrival from Newcastle United in January 1995, before being handed the famous no.9 shirt at the start of the 1996/97 campaign. The former England international enjoyed a successful six-year stay at Old Trafford, winning nine trophies and netting 121 times in 275 outings for the Reds, before moving to Blackburn Rovers midway through the 2001/02 season.

Cole was a prolific scorer for United during his six seasons at Old Trafford.

Colin McKee (1994)
McKee became our first no.17 when he turned out for the first team in a goalless draw with Coventry City at Old Trafford in May 1994. He began his career at United in 1989 and, after starring in the FA Youth Cup final against Crystal Palace alongside the famous Class of ’92, he signed professional terms in 1992. The Scot spent a one-month loan at Bury in January 1993 before returning to the Reds to claim the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year award in the same season. The Glasgow-born forward struggled to break into the first team and joined Kilmarnock in September 1994. After a career spanning 10 clubs in 12 years, mainly north of the border including the likes of Falkirk and Ross County, McKee retired in 2001.

Note: Squad numbers were only introduced from the 1993/94 season onwards.