Shaw: Why I Changed My Number

Luke Shaw has revealed why wanted to be Manchester United’s no.23 this season: a number he hopes to make his own for the rest of his playing days.

The full-back selected the same number while at Southampton and also wore it when representing England at the 2014 World Cup. It's also a number made famous in sport by Michael Jordan and David Beckham.

Once the youngster moved to Old Trafford shortly after England's exit from last year’s competition in Brazil, Shaw was elected United's new no.3 as the number he desired was already occupied.

The 20-year-old told MUTV before he wore the shirt against Tottenham: “I wanted to be 23 last season when I came but Tom Cleverley was already that number so I couldn’t take it. Obviously he’s left, so I thought I’d go back to my original number, 23.

“It’s where I started from. It’s the number I feel comfortable with and it’s probably the number that I want to carry on with until I finish my career.”

Marouane Fellaini is another Reds star who changed his squad number ahead of 2015/16, the Belgian deciding to be no.27 as Bastian Schweinsteiger takes up the no.31 shirt.

The thinking behind Fellaini’s choice stems from the fact that he wore 27 in his debut season for Standard Liege, the club where he made his senior breakthrough.