Morgan Schneiderlin shirt number choice: the Frenchman had an oddly generous reason for plumping for the number 2 jersey at Everton.
Morgan Schneiderlin is a classy midfielder, albeit a defensive one. He was outrageous for Southampton for seven years before an underwhelming two years at Manchester United, and Everton have seriously boosted their chances of a high finish after this second half of the season by securing his capture from the Red Devils for £24 million.
When a player comes to a new club one of his first tasks is to choose a new jersey number, and you might expect someone like Schneiderlin to settle for a fairly conventional figure. Thirteen, for example. Instead the Frenchman plumped for number 2, the shirt worn by Everton great and well-known football stylist Tony Hibbert, who was cast aside rather disgracefully at the end of his Everton career after 25 years of service at the club.
And Schneiderlin had a strangely generous reason for choosing the number 2 shirt, speaking to the Everton website.
I wanted to give the kit man a rest after putting Schneiderlin on the back. They wouldn’t want a big number after that!
A lot of squad numbers had already been taken and number two was free. I couldn’t have 13 because of superstition and, after that, there was 36, 37, 38, which I think is too high.
I will take the number two for now and, if it’s good for me, I will keep it.
And he had particularly positive words for Ross Barkley, who he sees as an integral part of his own role at the club.
I believe Barkley plays the number 10 role, so he will be in front of me. I want to feed him and the other players as well. Hopefully he will be what he is for many years, a great player.
Ross can shoot from far, he can find some good passes, he is always in the box.
You always have to concentrate because he can go past people. He is very strong in the upper body and in the legs and so it is very hard being up against him.
He's a seriously exciting prospect for Toffees fans. If he gives them half as much joy as the man who wore the jersey before him he'll be doing well.
