Chile international superstar Alexis Sanchez completed his Manchester United switch in the January transfer window when he was handed the number seven shirt at Old Trafford.
Since the time of French legend Eric Cantona, the number 7 has held an iconic – and even magical – status at Manchester United. The No.7 shirt also brought a curse with it, seemingly casting a spell on a number of players who failed to live up to the expectations wearing the heavy burden on their back.
Will Alexis Sanchez become its latest victim at the Theatre of Dreams?
Number 7 Through Man United History
John Berry was the first Manchester United player to be linked with a No.7 shirt at Old Trafford. One of the Busby Babes won three league titles during his eight years with the Red Devils and was regarded as one of the most talented youngsters in Britain. His career was cut short following the Munich air disaster as he was forced to retire due to the injuries he sustained.
Steve Coppel and Bryan Robson are another two notable mentions from the pre-Premier League era of the famed English club. Coppel may not have been the most illustrious name to wear the No.7 shirt but he still kept it on his back for six years in the club before handing it over to Robson – the inspirational Man United midfielder who led Red Devils to some of the glorious successes during the late 80s and early 90s.
There was another Manchester United player who wore the No.7 with pride – George Best. He was, in all honesty, best remembered and associated with No.11 but definitely deserves a mention as one of the most iconic and legendary players in a Manchester United shirt, regardless of a number on its back.
Cantona’s Heritage
Once the Premier League made squad numbers a mandatory practice at the beginning of the 1993-94 campaign the No.7 shirt was assigned to the French forward Eric Cantona who went on to win four titles, two FA Cups, kung-fu his way into Manchester United folklore and make the number 7 magical forever more.
Following his sudden retirement, Eric Cantona’s magical shirt was handed to David Beckham who upheld the heritage through a glorious period in the Manchester United history.
Arguably the last man to have worn the No.7 with pride and to have succeeded his famous predecessors was Cristiano Ronaldo. Wearing the famous shirt at Old Trafford the Portuguese was crowned the World Player of the Year in 2008, writing another glorious chapter in No.7 history.
The Curse
The players inheriting the Manchester United No.7 from Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and to this particular date in history never really managed to perform to their full capability. Instead of inspiring them to raise the level of their performances, the No.7 shirt proved to be more of a burden than an honour.
From Michael Owen to Antonio Valencia, who jumped to No.7 from his old No.25 and back, across Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay, Manchester United’s iconic shirt has become a poisoned chalice.
With Memphis Depay leaving for Lyon back in 2016, Manchester United hierarchy decided to wait on the new No.7, keeping the shirt locked deep in the dark. Having recognized the curse themselves, the club officials were waiting for a man capable of dispelling it and harnessing its true power.
Alexis Sanchez Dilemma
Once it became clear that one of the Premier League’s best players, Alexis Sanchez, would not be joining Manchester City and that he could very much move to Old Trafford, the Red Devils fans buzzed with excitement over the Chilean.
The Old Trafford faithful hoped Sanchez could be the one to restore the No.7 shirt’s former glory and usher a new stage in Manchester United’s recent history which saw its fair of ups and downs.
With only one goal in ten games and a string of below-par performances, Alexis Sanchez as the club’s new No.7 was most recently benched in Red Devils’ FA Cup victory over Brighton last week. Looking dejected and detached from the rest of the team, Alexis Sanchez is said to be often seen eating alone in the canteen, away from his teammates with No.7 shirt’s shadow hanging over him.
The most recent reports have it that the Chilean international is cutting a frustrating figure at Old Trafford, looking as if he regrets the record-breaking move to United which made him the highest paid player in the Premier League with a reported £600,000 weekly wage.
Comparisons with Angel Di Maria – who was offloaded to Paris Saint-Germain after a single season with Man United – have already started. Will Alexis Sanchez suffer the same fate as the Argentine misfit?
More importantly, will the No.7 shirt curse catch up on the Chilean as well?
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