Every Premier League No.7 ranked
The No.7 shirt is one of the most iconic in English football.
From George Best to Kenny Dalglish, Eric Cantona and David Beckham… some of the most famous attacking players England has ever seen have donned the fabled number on their backs.
There are perhaps some more infamous cases in Alexis Sanchez (the Man Utd version) and Andriy Shevchenko, but by and large, it’s legendary status is firmly insulated by the stars of old.
So, which current players are wearing the shirt number in the Premier League today?
Well, we’ve ranked all 17 of them, with Luton Town and Man Utd the only two clubs currently seven-less, while Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante will be an Al-Ittihad player next season, so we’ve excluded him.
17. Rhian Brewster
Age: 23
Club: Sheffield United
Position: Striker
It looked as though the Premier League was just a level too high in those early days for Rhian Brewster at Sheffield United, and he would tear up the Championship upon their relegation in 2021, but he has continued to misfire. A return of just three goals in 2021/22 wasn’t anything to write home about, while he netted just once last term as Paul Heckingbottom preferred the exploits of Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie.
16. Sergi Canos
Age: 26
Club: Brentford
Position: Winger
He is just one appearance shy of making 250 for Brentford, and he should make that next term after the club recently triggered an extension in his contract. Thomas Frank clearly wants to keep him around even if he loaned him out to Olympiacos, with injuries hampering him at the start of the campaign.
“Last season was difficult for Sergi. His start to the season was delayed by injury and he didn’t feel he made enough appearances for us,” Frank said of his new extension.
“Therefore, this summer, we need to get Sergi fit, back to his best, and making a big contribution for us.”
15. David Brooks
Age: 25
Club: Bournemouth
Position: Winger
Everybody knows about the quality of Brooks. He was on his way to superstar status, but endured injury issues with his ankle which required surgery and was then diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021. Thankfully, he was declared cancer free in May 2022 and returned to the pitch in March of this year. Football fans will be hoping he can get back to something resembling his former self, as he was genuinely electric during those early years.
14. Johann Berg Gudmundsson
Age: 32
Club: Burnley
Position: Winger
The Iceland international featured pretty extensively in Burnley’s promotion charge last term, playing 37 times in total for Vincent Kompany’s side. He has been a consistent fixture in the Premier League since 2016 and will return to the big time after a brief detour in the Championship, though it remains to be seen how much the soon-to-be 33-year-old will feature.
13. Neeskens Kebano
Age: 31
Club: Fulham
Position: Midfielder
A delightfully fleet-footed midfielder who came through Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, Kebano is now an experienced stalwart, but starting positions in the Premier League come at premium for him these days. Marco Silva afforded him nine in 2022/23, but he still chipped in with three assists, so he is certainly worth keeping around for those fleeting moments of brilliance — a notion underlined by the club recently offering him a new contract.
12. Neco Williams
Age: 22
Club: Nottingham Forest
Position: Wing-back
Powerful and aggressive, Neco Williams was instrumental in Steve Cooper’s set-up last term and showcased genuine flashes of stardust with his persistent runs and bursts forward. In what was a volatile and inconsistent season for Forest, Williams was heavily involved.
11. Dwight McNeil
Age: 23
Club: Everton
Position: Winger
It took him a while to get going at Goodison Park when Everton were floundering in the relegation zone, but upon Sean Dyche’s appointment, his golden pupil amplified his game to another level and inspired their survival exploits.
10. Gianluca Scamacca
Age: 24
Club: West Ham
Position: Striker
Gianluca Scamacca has the potential to be much higher up on this list, but let’s face it, he didn’t exactly set the Premier League alight in his maiden campaign. His return of just three goals wasn’t what West Ham fans would have been hoping, but he showed flashes of genius when he did get on the turf — while his five goals in Europe went a long way to helping them secure the Europa Conference League.
Fans certainly weren’t questioning his quality last term, which was evident when he got the on ball, but rather his suitability to a David Moyes counter-attacking system. The pair don’t appear to be a match. Scamacca, though, is class.
9. Pedro Neto
Age: 23
Club: Wolves
Position: Winger
Injuries have stifled him in recent seasons, but when Pedro Neto first burst onto the scene, he looked like a superstar-in-the-making. Wolves fans will be hopeful that he can yet get back to his best next term, which would seriously elevate their attack to another level.
8. Solly March
Age: 28
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion
Position: Winger
Brighton were incredible last term to finish sixth, with much of the praise going to Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma, but spare a thought for Solly March, who was the creative fulcrum in Roberto De Zerbi’s system. Only four players created more Big Chances (17) than March in 2022/23, with Bruno Fernandes (32), Kevin De Bruyne (31), Trent Alexander-Arnold (25) and Kieran Trippier (24) finishing ahead of him.
7. John McGinn
Age: 28
Club: Aston Villa
Position: Midfielder
Tenacious, industrious and enterprising, Unai Emery had a Rolls Royce of an engine in the heart of his midfield last term in John McGinn. The Glaswegian is everything you would want in a central midfielder, combining bite, grit and athleticism to keep Villa ticking over throughout the campaign.
6. Michael Olise
Age: 21
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Winger
Michael Olise registered the most assists across 2022/23 of any other U21 player in Europe’s top five leagues, finishing ahead of the likes of Jamal Musiala (10) and Gabriel Martinelli (five). Indeed, he was a playmaker wizard on the flank at Selhurst Park last term, captivating with his improvisation, vision and imagination.
5. Joelinton
Age: 26
Club: Newcastle
Position: Midfielder
The Brazilian was looking like an expensive flop when Newcastle first broke the bank to sign him as a striker in 2019, but he has just spearheaded their Champions League pursuit as a repurposed central midfielder. The now-capped Samba sensation really is the heartbeat of Eddie Howe’s midfield as a floating 8.
4. Joao Cancelo
Age: 29
Club: Man City
Position: Full-back
Although things went off the track a bit last term, with Cancelo unexpectedly departing for Bayern Munich on loan, and struggling slightly in Bavaria, there can be no denying his qualities. One of the best attack-minded defenders in the world, Cancelo was utterly terrifying in his pomp under Pep Guardiola and really popularised the recent trend of inverted full-backs.
3. Luis Diaz
Age: 26
Club: Liverpool
Position: Winger
A superlative footballer, you can find plenty of YouTube cut-ups of Diaz’s balletic and dazzling foot work set to dubstep, but he is also a forward of substance — the perfect harmony. It has recently been confirmed he will inherit James Milner’s vacated No. 7 shirt, and Liverpool fans will be purring at the prospect of seeing him back in full motion next term injury-free.
2. Bukayo Saka
Age: 21
Club: Arsenal
Position: Forward
Outrageously skilful but also incredibly potent. Saka is electric on the flank with his repertoire of shimmies and jinks, but his end product is where he really takes his game to another level. Only Erling Haaland (44), Harry Kane (33) and Mohamed Salah (31) were directly involved in more goals than Saka (25) in 2022/23, as Arsenal’s star boy led their unexpected Premier League title charge.
1. Son Heung-min
Age: 30
Club: Spurs
Position: Forward
No one in the Premier League scored more goals than Heung-min Son in 2021/22. The South Korea international ended the season with 23 goals, level with Mohamed Salah, meaning that he became the first Asian footballer to win the golden boot. Son’s 23 goals were also all from open play. No penalties.
In the season just gone he managed to hit double digits for the seventh successive season, which is certainly no mean feat in a campaign of turmoil for Spurs. He reached the Premier League’s famous ‘100 club’ in 2022/23, has a Puskas Award in the locker and, for his longevity, is without question, the division’s pre-eminent No. 7.
