Thirty years of squad numbers

Every number worn in eight leagues since 1993/94, and what changed. Pick a league or a club to ask the same questions of it.

EnglandPremier LeagueEFL ChampionshipEFL League OneEFL League TwoLa LigaBundesligaSerie ALigue 1All leagues
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Aston VillaBarnsleyBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBlackpoolBolton WanderersBournemouthBradford CityBrentfordBrightonBristol CityBurnleyBurton AlbionCardiff CityCharlton AthleticColchester UnitedCoventryCrewe AlexandraCrystal PalaceDerby CountyDoncaster RoversFulhamGillinghamGrimsby TownHuddersfield TownHull CityIpswichLeedsLeicesterLincoln CityLuton TownManchester CityMiddlesbroughMillwallMilton Keynes DonsNewcastleNorwich CityNottingham ForestOxford UnitedPeterborough UnitedPlymouth ArgylePort ValePortsmouthPreston North EndQueens Park RangersReadingRotherham UnitedScunthorpe UnitedSheffield UnitedSheffield WednesdaySouthamptonSouthend UnitedStockport CountyStoke CitySunderlandSwansea CitySwindon TownTranmere RoversWalsallWatfordWest Bromwich AlbionWest HamWigan AthleticWimbledonWolvesWrexhamWycombe WanderersYeovil Town

The drift away from 1–11

In 1999/2000, 34.5% of the numbers issued were 1–11. By 2025/26 it was 28.3%, a fall of 6.2 points. The average number rose from 17.1 to 22.3.

0%25%50%75%100%99/0003/0407/0811/1215/1619/2023/2425/2699/00: 34.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.1)00/01: 31.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.5)01/02: 31.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.6)02/03: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18)03/04: 35.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.9)04/05: 35.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.3)05/06: 33.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.7)06/07: 33.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.8)07/08: 31.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.7)08/09: 31.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.3)09/10: 31% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.3)10/11: 29.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.9)11/12: 30.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.7)12/13: 30% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.8)13/14: 30% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20)14/15: 28.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.8)15/16: 30.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20)16/17: 30.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21)17/18: 30% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.8)18/19: 30.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.8)19/20: 30.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.9)20/21: 28.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.4)21/22: 29.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.5)22/23: 30.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.8)23/24: 28.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.9)24/25: 28.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 22.3)25/26: 28.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 22.3)34.5%28.3%
See the numbers
Season1–11AverageNumbers
1999/200034.5%17.1612
2000/0131.8%18.5768
2001/0231.9%18.6791
2002/0333.5%18738
2003/0435.1%16.9716
2004/0535.3%17.3685
2005/0633.7%17.7744
2006/0733.2%17.8729
2007/0831.7%18.7722
2008/0931.3%19.3776
2009/1031%19.3754
2010/1129.6%19.9873
2011/1230.3%19.7855
2012/1330%19.8868
2013/1430%20877
2014/1528.5%20.8841
2015/1630.7%20812
2016/1730.6%21850
2017/1830%20.8868
2018/1930.8%20.8763
2019/2030.6%20.9839
2020/2128.8%21.4890
2021/2229.3%21.5880
2022/2330.5%20.8802
2023/2428.8%21.9895
2024/2528.9%22.3876
2025/2628.3%22.3893

Which numbers get worn

#10 is the most-worn number in this selection, 643 times. The thinnest end of the tail is #68, worn 1.

110203040506070809099#1: worn 620 times (2.8%)#2: worn 618 times (2.8%)#3: worn 631 times (2.8%)#4: worn 633 times (2.8%)#5: worn 623 times (2.8%)#6: worn 635 times (2.8%)#7: worn 640 times (2.9%)#8: worn 634 times (2.8%)#9: worn 638 times (2.8%)#10: worn 643 times (2.9%)#11: worn 635 times (2.8%)#12: worn 561 times (2.5%)#13: worn 409 times (1.8%)#14: worn 636 times (2.8%)#15: worn 612 times (2.7%)#16: worn 595 times (2.7%)#17: worn 617 times (2.8%)#18: worn 609 times (2.7%)#19: worn 618 times (2.8%)#20: worn 607 times (2.7%)#21: worn 593 times (2.6%)#22: worn 599 times (2.7%)#23: worn 597 times (2.7%)#24: worn 559 times (2.5%)#25: worn 538 times (2.4%)#26: worn 554 times (2.5%)#27: worn 538 times (2.4%)#28: worn 502 times (2.2%)#29: worn 493 times (2.2%)#30: worn 489 times (2.2%)#31: worn 419 times (1.9%)#32: worn 428 times (1.9%)#33: worn 460 times (2.1%)#34: worn 393 times (1.8%)#35: worn 346 times (1.5%)#36: worn 302 times (1.3%)#37: worn 321 times (1.4%)#38: worn 262 times (1.2%)#39: worn 269 times (1.2%)#40: worn 228 times (1.0%)#41: worn 164 times (0.7%)#42: worn 148 times (0.7%)#43: worn 117 times (0.5%)#44: worn 182 times (0.8%)#45: worn 137 times (0.6%)#46: worn 81 times (0.4%)#47: worn 89 times (0.4%)#48: worn 74 times (0.3%)#49: worn 76 times (0.3%)#50: worn 57 times (0.3%)#51: worn 23 times (0.1%)#52: worn 26 times (0.1%)#53: worn 22 times (0.1%)#54: worn 17 times (0.1%)#55: worn 17 times (0.1%)#56: worn 9 times (0.0%)#57: worn 8 times (0.0%)#58: worn 13 times (0.1%)#59: worn 9 times (0.0%)#60: worn 3 times (0.0%)#61: worn 5 times (0.0%)#62: worn 3 times (0.0%)#63: worn 3 times (0.0%)#64: worn 3 times (0.0%)#65: worn 2 times (0.0%)#66: worn 2 times (0.0%)#67: worn 2 times (0.0%)#68: worn 1 times (0.0%)#70: worn 1 times (0.0%)#75: worn 1 times (0.0%)#76: worn 1 times (0.0%)#77: worn 2 times (0.0%)#80: worn 2 times (0.0%)#99: worn 4 times (0.0%)

1–11 in green, 12 and above in blue.

Who leaves out 13

Share of squads that issued 13 at all, since 2000. English lower-league clubs skip it most often.

EFL League TwoEFL League Two: 49.5% of 428 squads used 1349.5%EFL League OneEFL League One: 58.2% of 493 squads used 1358.2%EFL ChampionshipEFL Championship: 62.6% of 609 squads used 1362.6%Ligue 1Ligue 1: 64.7% of 419 squads used 1364.7%Premier LeaguePremier League: 65.5% of 510 squads used 1365.5%BundesligaBundesliga: 75.1% of 382 squads used 1375.1%Serie ASerie A: 75.6% of 505 squads used 1375.6%La LigaLa Liga: 93.6% of 392 squads used 1393.6%

La Liga is shown in a different colour because it isn’t a choice there: Spanish clubs register a first-team squad numbered 1–25, so 13 is issued unless the squad is unusually small. For the same reason, Spain barely appears above 25 and shouldn’t be compared with the rest on the chart above.

The one-number men

Longest unbroken runs in the same number at the same club.

PlayerClubNumberSeasons
Paul McKennaPreston North End#169 (2000/01–09)
Jake CooperMillwall#59 (2018/19–27)
Andrew HughesPreston North End#169 (2018/19–27)
Jordan StoreyPreston North End#149 (2018/19–27)
Dexter BlackstockNottingham Forest#238 (2008/09–16)
Luke HyamIpswich#198 (2010/11–18)
Craig BrysonDerby County#48 (2011/12–19)
Richard KeoghDerby County#68 (2012/13–20)
Alan BrownePreston North End#88 (2016/17–24)
Shaun HutchinsonMillwall#48 (2017/18–25)

Numbers nobody keeps

Most different players in one number at one club since 2000.

ClubNumberPlayers
Millwall#1417
Cardiff City#1816
Derby County#716
Derby County#1616
Nottingham Forest#1816
Sheffield Wednesday#1916
Sheffield Wednesday#2616
Cardiff City#1415

When the big numbers arrived

The first season each of these turns up anywhere in the data.

#69 · 1996/97#66 · 2000/01#77 · 2000/01#99 · 2000/01#50 · 2003/04#88 · 2004/05

How to read this

  • The season in progress is left out of the trends. Squads fill up as a season goes on, and the numbers added last are the high ones.
  • Leagues run different rules. Spain numbers its first-team squad 1–25, which decides both how high its numbers go and whether 13 is used, so it is never averaged in silently.
  • The data is compiled from Wikipedia and is thinner for some seasons than others; a season with fewer than 100 numbers on record is left off the trend.

Why players choose their numbers →