Chelsea hand Willian Eden Hazard’s old No.10 shirt number
Chelsea have confirmed their squad numbers for the 2019/20 season including a new no.10.
Eden Hazard had previously donned the iconic number before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer, leaving it up for grabs.
Willian replaces Hazard at no.10: Five things to know…
- Eden Hazard was Chelsea’s no.10 after taking the shirt from Juan Mata in 2014.
- But the Belgian’s departure to Real Madrid left the number free for the new season.
- Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic were among those vying for the no.10 jersey.
- But Willian has been confirmed as Chelsea’s new no.10 for the 2019/20 season.
- The Brazilian previously wore no.22, a number since taken on by Pulisic.
There had been some hope among the Chelsea fanbase that Callum Hudson-Odoi or Christian Pulisic would pick up the shirt, but the club have now announced Willian will be their new no.10.
The Brazilian, who signed for Chelsea in 2013, had previously revealed his number change in an interview with Brazilian TV show Desimpedidos, saying: “Number ten is now mine. The club has said it will change [my shirt number] and it will be mine.
“I have always liked playing with number ten.
“Since I was a kid playing indoors football, I have always used the number ten. At Corinthians I was also number ten.”
Willian had previously worn no.22 for Chelsea, a jersey which has now been passed on to Pulisic, the number he used while at Borussia Dortmund.
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Other Chelsea number changes
The new season will also see a new no.9 for Chelsea, with Tammy Abraham becoming the latest to try and break the so-called curse, cementing his place in the Blues’ first team.
OFFICIAL: @ChelseaFC have confirmed their squad numbers for the upcoming 2019-20 season.
Willian inherits Eden Hazard’s No.10. pic.twitter.com/4vNm8AsqqI
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Since Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink left the no.9 shirt free in 2004, Chelsea have had a number of poorly performing players to don the number.
Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo, Khalid Boulahrouz, Steve Sidwell, Franco Di Santo, Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao and Gonzalo Higuain have all failed to produce with no.9 on their back, piling some pressure on Abraham.
There are also new first-team numbers for more of Chelsea academy products with Mason Mount taking no.19, Reece James no.24, Fikayo Tomori no.29, Jamie Cumming 31 and Andreas Christensen no.4.
Kurt Zouma also returns from loan spells away to wear no.15, as his former no.5 is currently being used by Jorginho.
