Alexis Mac Allister has explained why he has chosen to follow in the footsteps of Liverpool legends after his transfer from Brighton was officially confirmed.
Mac Allister will wear the number 10 jersey having penned a five-year deal at Anfield with the Reds having triggered a release clause in the player's contract.
The 24-year-old midfielder will keep the shirt number he wore during his time at Brighton, where he scored 20 goals in 112 appearances.
Mac Allister, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December, will become the eighth player to wear the 10 since squad numbers were introduced during the Premier League era.
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And he admits he could have taken on another iconic Liverpool jersey before deciding on a number to which he has grown accustomed.
"I know how important number 10 is in football," said Mac Allister. "I had the possibility to take the number eight as well which is a big number for this club because of (Steven) Gerrard of course.
"But I decided on number 10 as I've used it a lot of time in Argentina and Brighton, under-23s for the national team as well. It's a number I really like and that's why I chose it."
The shirt has been vacant since last summer when Sadio Mane, who won six major honours during seven years at Liverpool, departed for Bayern Munich. Previously, Phillipe Coutinho wore the jersey, before which it had been handed to Joe Cole and Andriy Voronin.
Michael Owen, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2001, wore the short for seven years after breaking into the Reds first team as a teenager in 1997.
And Liverpool great John Barnes was the first owner of the number 10 shirt following the switch to squad numbers have forged his reputation Previously, the likes of John Toshack, Terry McDermott and Tommy Smith had worn the jersey with distinction.
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