The number seven shirt can weigh heavy on just about anyone at just about any club. But at Manchester United, it has been suffocating for several stars desperately attempting to follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is Old Trafford’s very own version of Mission Impossible, except their casting for Ethan Hunt has led to some woeful actors rather than their own version of Tom Cruise.
Mason Mount is the latest No.7 to perform in front of the critics and, after so much expectation when he arrived for £55m in 2023, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that he’s been the worst iteration of the lot.
Mount the latest to suffer Man Utd’s No.7 curse
Football is a strange game, isn’t it? 22 players dictate the mood for thousands and a number can suddenly represent a curse. At Old Trafford, that is the number seven.
At Chelsea, it is the number nine. When boiled down, however, it is all about expectation rather than witchcraft.
It is about the legends who have made the shirt. The Beckham’s, the Ronaldo’s or in Chelsea’s case, the Didier Drogba’s. It’s about attempting to replace the irreplaceable. In many ways, that’s why many numbers are often retired – to avoid chasing a legacy forever out of reach.
|
Man Utd recent No.7s |
|
|---|---|
|
Mason Mount |
23/24-present |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo |
21/22-22/23 |
|
Edinson Cavani |
20/21-21/22 |
|
Alexis Sanchez |
17/18-18/19 |
|
Memphis Depay |
15/16-16/17 |
|
Angel Di Maria |
14/15 |
|
Antonio Valencia |
12/13-13/14 |
|
Michael Owen |
09/10-11/12 |
After eight attempts, the closest Man United have got to replacing Ronaldo and Beckham is by re-signing the former in 2021, before he inevitably fell out with Erik ten Hag in what has become customary for the Portuguese star.
Those at Old Trafford won’t give up anytime soon, however. After just eight goals in 75 appearances, the answer is not Mount. His Man United career is destined to end in a whimper. Instead, the answer could lie at Carrington just like it did when Beckham eventually took hold of the shirt.
Man Utd sensation should take Mount’s place
If the answer to Man United’s number seven curse can be put down to some form of witchcraft rather than logical recruitment failure, then perhaps the answer lies where one of the last great players emerged. Perhaps the answer lies at Carrington, where several young stars are beginning to emerge.
It was very nearly the destiny of JJ Gabriel. Many believed it should have been. The problem is that those same people wanted that destiny to become an instant reality and have since stolen the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
And so the responsibility heads elsewhere and towards young teammate Shea Lacey. Just like Beckham, the 19-year-old is an adopted Mancunian at this stage.
Though he was born in Liverpool, his legacy is destined to come at Old Trafford and that should include inheriting the No.7 shirt, stealing Mount’s place in the process.
On the same night that Gabriel was tipped to get his first senior start for Man United, it was Lacey who starred before Michael Carrick‘s side collapsed to defeat.
His finish, cutting inside onto his favoured left-foot, is quickly becoming a habit after recently scoring a sensational effort by using the same trick for England’s youth side. It’s always a good sign when such a young attacker trademarks a vintage move so early into his career.
In many ways, Lacey is exactly what Man United’s No.7 should be. He’s exciting, tricky and has an eye for goal – everything that Mount no longer is.
In one senior appearance, the 19-year-old has gone within seven goals of Mount’s entire Man United tally. It’s been time to end the latter’s Old Trafford career for some time, but with Lacey on the rise, Carrick must pull the trigger.
