Takumi Minamino to Wear Number 18 at Liverpool

Takumi Minamino has completed his Liverpool move today, and as always when a new player arrives, one of the first questions is what number he will wear. In this case, it’s hardly a surprise. Minamino has chosen to wear the number 18 in red.

It’s the obvious choice. He is, after all, arriving as a forward and with Liverpool’s numbers nine, 10, and 11 are all already taken. Plus it’s a number that, being 2x9 and all, feels fair and fitting for a forward. And most importantly, it’s what he wore at Salzburg.

And so, with that, we welcome a new number 18 to Liverpool.

The last player who wore that number for the Reds, though, wasn’t a forward—it was Alberto Moreno. Before him, though, many fans will remember it being the number of Dirk Kuyt, and while Minamino is smaller than the Dutchman, he’s equally hard working.

In truth, though, outside of Kuyt there isn’t a great deal of history to the number at Anfield, with it having been worn briefly by Antonio Nunez, John Arne Riise, Erik Meijer, Jean-Michel Ferri, Michael Owen, Phil Charnock, and Rony Rosenthal.

And in the cases of the two most recognisable players on that longer list, Riise and Owen, they were better known for their time in red wearing the six and 10 respectively. Minamino has a chance, then, to make the number feel like his own.

Here’s hoping that in the coming months and years he can do just that.