Following a few hours of uncertainty over whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would wear the number 21 shirt at Liverpool or not, the club have announced that the former Arsenal man has in fact decided to take it.
The number @Alex_OxChambo will wear at #LFC... https://t.co/B0xiKSDYqE pic.twitter.com/IRmrtTe6fL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 31, 2017
He will play for Liverpool in the shirt number last worn by Lucas Leiva, who left the club earlier in the summer to join Lazio after a decade spent on Merseyside. Before Lucas, the most noteworthy wearer of the shirt was Gary McAllister.
In fact, McAllister and Lucas might be the only noteworthy wearers of 21 at the club before now, as the others who have taken the number over the years have been Mike Marsh, Dominic Matteo, Salif Diao, and Djimi Traore.
Before officially choosing to wear 21, there had been some speculation that the player was waiting to see what, if any, other deals were done by the club on deadline day before he choose his number.
Despite the player’s fondness for Steven Gerrard, taking on the number eight was never an option and it is believed that that number is being held for Naby Keïta when he arrives next summer.