Ever looked at the team sheet for Manchester City and wondered why certain players pick the numbers they do? It's not always about prestige. Sometimes it’s about superstition, sometimes it’s just what was left on the rack when they signed the contract, and occasionally, it’s a tribute to a fallen teammate or a childhood hero.
Manchester City squad numbers carry a weird weight these days.
When you play for a club that has basically redefined how the Premier League is won, the shirt you wear matters. You aren't just wearing a number; you’re filling the shoes of legends like Kompany, Agüero, or David Silva. Or you're trying to forge a new legacy entirely.
The weight of the number 10 and the Agüero legacy
For a long time, the number 10 at City meant one thing: Sergio Agüero. He didn't even start with it; he wore 16 for years because Edin Džeko had the 10. When he finally switched, he turned that shirt into an icon. Now, it belongs to Jack Grealish.
Grealish knew the pressure. He’s been vocal about how much it meant to be handed that specific jersey following his £100 million move from Aston Villa. It’s a playmaker’s number, but at City, it’s a goalscorer’s history. Jack plays a very different game—more about control and drawing fouls than Agüero’s clinical "half-chance" finishing—but the expectation remains. If you wear 10 under Pep Guardiola, you better be prepared to have the ball at your feet constantly.
Why 41 and 47 are the most important numbers in the squad
Usually, high numbers like 47 or 41 are reserved for academy kids who might get five minutes in a Carabao Cup game before being loaned out to the Championship. Not here.
Phil Foden has made the 47 famous. He’s had plenty of chances to switch to a "traditional" first-team number—like the 10 or the 7—but he refuses. Why? It’s a tribute to his grandfather, Ronnie, who passed away at the age of 47. It’s a deeply personal choice that has now become a brand. You see kids all over Manchester—and the world—wearing "Foden 47." It’s a reminder that the player makes the number, not the other way around.
Then there’s Rodri. The man who arguably makes the whole team tick.
✨ Don't miss: Simona Halep and the Reality of Tennis Player Breast Reduction
He wears 16. It’s a bit of an "unsung hero" number, historically. Think of Roy Keane at United or Michael Carrick. It’s not flashy. It’s functional. For Rodri, it fits his personality perfectly. He’s the guy who shows up, destroys the opposition’s counter-attack, scores a screamer in a Champions League final, and then goes home without having a single social media account.
The curious case of the number 9 and Erling Haaland
For a couple of seasons, City didn't even have a number 9. Gabriel Jesus had it for a bit, but even he felt more like a winger at times. When Erling Haaland arrived, there was zero doubt. He took the 9 and proceeded to break every record in the book.
It's funny how things work.
Before Haaland, there was this narrative that City played better with a "false nine"—a midfielder playing up top. But seeing the number 9 back on the scoresheet three times a week changed the vibe at the Etihad. It brought back a sense of traditional ruthlessness.
What happened to the retired shirts?
You won't see anyone wearing the number 23 at Manchester City. It was retired in 2003. This wasn't for a long-serving legend who won twenty trophies. It was a tribute to Marc-Vivien Foé.
Foé was on loan at City from Lyon when he tragically collapsed and died while playing for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup. The club decided right then that no one would ever wear his shirt again. It’s one of those bits of club history that newer fans might not know, but it stays as a permanent mark of respect in the dressing room.
The defensive reshuffle: 2, 3, 5, and 6
Kyle Walker has the 2. Ruben Dias has the 3. John Stones has the 5. Nathan Aké has the 6.
🔗 Read more: NFL Pick 'em Predictions: Why You're Probably Overthinking the Divisional Round
It sounds simple, right?
But look at how they actually play. Stones often spends more time in midfield than at center-back. Aké is a hybrid. Walker is basically a recovery-pace cheat code. In Pep's system, your number rarely dictates your position on the heat map. Manuel Akanji wears 25—a number usually reserved for backup keepers or fringe players—yet he’s arguably one of the first names on the team sheet.
Josko Gvardiol took the number 24. It’s a sturdy, unremarkable number for a player who is anything but unremarkable. It’s fascinating how the "star" defenders often gravitate toward those lower, traditional numbers while the versatile "Pep-style" players end up with whatever is available.
How squad numbers are assigned at the Etihad
It isn't a free-for-all.
The kit manager and the football operations team handle the logistics, but the players usually get a say if a shirt is vacant. When a big signing comes in, there’s often a bit of a dance. If a player wants a number that’s already taken, they usually just pick something else or wait for a departure.
Kevin De Bruyne and his number 17 is a great example. He’s been 17 since he arrived in 2015. At the time, other "bigger" numbers were available, but 17 was his choice and he’s stuck with it through multiple contract renewals. Now, 17 is synonymous with the best playmaker in Premier League history.
The "Missing" Numbers
Have you noticed the gaps?
💡 You might also like: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
The number 11 was vacant for a while before Jeremy Doku took it. The number 4 was synonymous with Vincent Kompany for a decade; taking that shirt requires a certain level of confidence. Kalvin Phillips took it, but it never quite felt like it fit. Now, the weight of the "captain’s number" sits there, waiting for someone to truly make it their own again.
Numbers like 12, 13, 14, and 15 often cycle through squad players.
- 13: Usually a backup goalkeeper (currently Stefan Ortega).
- 16: The anchor (Rodri).
- 19: Often a creative outlet (Julian Alvarez wore this before his move to Atletico Madrid).
Surprising choices and late bloomers
Sometimes a player keeps a high number because they’re superstitious. Rico Lewis still wears 82. Oscar Bobb is 52.
As they become established stars, they might stick with those "youth" numbers because that’s what they were wearing when they broke through. It’s a "don't change what isn't broken" mentality. Fans love it too—it shows a connection to the academy.
Actionable insights for fans and collectors
If you're looking to buy a jersey or just want to keep track of the roster, here is what you need to keep in mind regarding Manchester City squad numbers:
- Wait for the official window: Don't buy a new signing's jersey the second they are announced. Numbers often change during pre-season. A player might wear 28 in a friendly and switch to 8 before the first Premier League game.
- The "Retired" Exception: Don't bother looking for a 23. You can't get it officially printed with a current player's name because of the Marc-Vivien Foé retirement.
- Legacy value: If you want a shirt that will still look "correct" in ten years, go for Foden 47 or De Bruyne 17. These players have linked their identities to those specific non-traditional numbers so strongly that they are unlikely to ever change them.
- Watch the 1-11: Historically, the starting XI would wear 1 through 11. In the modern City era, it’s rare to see more than five or six of those numbers on the pitch at the start of a game. It tells you a lot about the depth and the "squad-first" mentality Guardiola has built.
The squad list is a living document. It changes every summer and every January. But at City, more than most clubs, those numbers tell a story of a decade of dominance. Whether it’s Haaland reclaiming the 9 or Foden honoring his family with the 47, there’s always more to the shirt than just a digit on the back.