Sir Alex Ferguson didn't want David Beckham to wear the No.7 shirt at Manchester United, according to Roy Keane. Beckham sported the famous jersey at Old Trafford and with England between 1997 and 2003, becoming his trademark number.
Beckham was first awarded the No.28 at United when shirt numbers were introduced in the Premier League in 1993-94, swapping it for the No.24 two years later. He was then awarded the prestigious No.10 ahead of 1996-97 after solidifying his place in the team.
Eric Cantona wore the No.7 at Old Trafford during the Premier League's early years, but the shirt became available on the Frenchman's retirement in May 1997. The No.7 then belonged to Beckham for the foreseeable future, but only after Keane's intervention.
Writing in his 2015 autobiography the second half, Keane claimed Ferguson offered him the No.7 before Beckham snapped it up. Teddy Sheringham was signed from Tottenham to replace Cantona that summer and took the No.10, the number he wore at Spurs.
"The captaincy is important, but squad numbers can have an importance, too," wrote Keane. "At United, No.7 was the iconic number. When Eric Cantona left there was debate about who was going to be the next captain. I was relaxed about it.
"But there was his No.7, too. Bryan Robson had it before Cantona and, of course, it went back to Georgie Best. The manager pulled me into his office and said he wanted me to wear the No.7. I said, 'No, I'm not bothered.'
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"And he said, 'I know Becks will f****** want it and I don't want him to have it.' The little power battles. I had the No.16 since I'd signed for he club. I was comfortable with No.16, I think it might have kept me on my toes, being outside the 1-11.
"I didn't think I was a No.7. I said, 'Give it to Becks.' Becks got it, and it suited him - and Cantona. [Cristiano] Ronaldo had it after Becks."
Speaking in 2015, Beckham claimed United's No.7 never belonged to him and praised the iconic players who wore it before him. Cristiano Ronaldo is the current holder of the shirt, regaining it from Edinson Cavani after re-joining the club last August.
"It was never my shirt," said Beckham. "It was George Best’s, Bryan Robson’s, Eric Cantona’s. The only reason I wanted to wear the No.7 shirt was because of these players. The No.7 shirt is a special shirt for Man Utd. It always has been and it always will be."
The other four players to have worn the No.7 in the Premier League era are Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez. All five struggled to flourish while wearing the jersey, with Valencia even switching back to No.25.
The advent of designated shirt numbers has led to many iconic Premier League jerseys, such as John Terry's No.26 at Chelsea, Thierry Henry's No.14 at Arsenal, Alan Shearer's No.9 at Newcastle and Paul Scholes' No.18 at United.
