{"id":1247894,"date":"2022-02-22T11:39:29","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T11:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1247894"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:34:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:34:06","slug":"iconic-number-twos-football-cafu-alves-neal","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/iconic-number-twos-football-cafu-alves-neal\/","title":{"rendered":"A brief history of European football\u2019s most iconic No.2s, from Cafu to Gary Neville"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Everyone knows who the great No.1s in football history are, but what about the No. 2s?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re not talking about managers and their assistants (although let&#8217;s take a moment to doff our collective caps to Bob Paisley, Jose Mourinho and Tito Vilanova, who went from world-class No.2s to world-class No.1s in the dugout).<\/p>\n<p>This article is dedicated to those who wore &#8212; and currently wear &#8212; the No.2 shirt, which tends to belong to right-backs (but not always).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Twosday Enhanced Specials from <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.williamhill.com\/betting\/en-gb\/football\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">William Hill<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Enhanced odds on Hakim Ziyech to score anytime vs Lille &#8211; was 13\/8, now <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.williamhill.com\/betting\/en-gb\/football\/OB_EV23146265\/22-2-22-twosday-enhanced-specials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">2\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced odds on Timothy Weah to score anytime vs Chelsea &#8211; was 13\/2, now <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.williamhill.com\/betting\/en-gb\/football\/OB_EV23146265\/22-2-22-twosday-enhanced-specials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">8\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced odds on either of Tuesday&#8217;s two Champions League games to finish 2-2 &#8211; was 10\/1, now <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.williamhill.com\/betting\/en-gb\/football\/OB_EV23146265\/22-2-22-twosday-enhanced-specials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">12\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All odds accurate at the time of publication. You must be 18 to gamble. For more information, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Be Gamble Aware<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that for many years shirt numbers didn&#8217;t formally belong to individual squad members, but were strictly associated with positions. Players tended to wear 1-11 depending on where they started on the pitch &#8212; and different numbers when on the bench (e.g. George Best, so universally associated with Manchester United&#8217;s No.7 shirt, wore No. 11 just as often, as he could play on either wing). In 1993, the English FA made the switch to permanent squad numbers; the Italians followed suit in 1995.<\/p>\n<p>Our list is all about iconic No.2s since that switch was made in the 90s, but of course there are some exceptions to that rule &#8212; a couple who were just too good to leave out. We&#8217;ve ordered our favourite No.2s by date, so you can follow the path of iconic players to wear the shirt from 1977 all the way up to the current day.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Phil Neal (1974-1985)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Liverpool<\/li>\n<li><strong>Country:<\/strong> England<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One of the original iconic No.2s, Phil Neal was a rock at the back for Liverpool all through their dominant era, winning a massive eight league titles and four European Cups (making him the most decorated player in the Reds&#8217; history). A superb full-back, Neal set the blueprint for so many to follow.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248059 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-901x600.jpg 901w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-1100x732.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210433\/1247894_1247894_PA-575393-copy-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Giuseppe Bergomi (1979-1999)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Inter Milan<\/li>\n<li><strong>Country:<\/strong> Italy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The country that practically invented the modern concept of full-backs was Italy, and Bergomi was one of the finest exponents of the position (although he barely got to wear it for his country as it was held by Franco Baresi). A monster who played over 750 games for Inter, Bergomi is actually the reason the other iconic right-back from Inter&#8217;s past, Javier Zanetti, isn&#8217;t on this list, as the Argentine emerged at Inter while Bergomi had a stranglehold over the No.2 (and, indeed, the right-back slot).<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ciro Ferrara (1984-2005)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Napoli, Juventus<\/li>\n<li><strong>Country:<\/strong> Italy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Oh hey, look: we&#8217;re back in Italy. Ciro Ferrara came a little bit after Bergomi but was a similarly brilliant right-back. Initially he came through with Diego Maradona&#8217;s title-winning Napoli before a big-money move to Juventus saw him become a recognisable rock at the back for club and country &#8212; and a staple of Football Italia and ITV&#8217;s Champions League coverage.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/william-hill?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1243334 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1268\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer.jpg 1268w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-1024x635.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-768x476.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-110x68.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-113x70.jpg 113w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-66x41.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-80x50.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-180x112.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-380x236.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-968x600.jpg 968w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-240x149.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-1100x682.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-85x53.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-32x20.jpg 32w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21142856\/1243322_William-Hill-betting-offer-330x205.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1268px) 100vw, 1268px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Eligible readers* interested in the above William Hill betting offer can follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/william-hill?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this link<\/a>. 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Follow the link above to see full terms.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Cafu<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 1992-2008<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Sao Paulo, Roma, AC Milan<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Brazil<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most famous wearer of the No. 2 ever, Cafu has won the Copa Libertadores, Champions League and World Cup all in that iconic No. 2 shirt, although his first World Cup triumph came in no. 14 as he was originally Jorginho&#8217;s (no not that one) back-up. A freight train running up and down the right-flank, Cafu is <em>the<\/em> iconic No. 2.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Michael Reiziger<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 1994-1996 + 1998-2006<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Ajax, Barcelona, Middlesbrough<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Netherlands<\/p>\n<p>Of course, before Cafu had even shown up in Serie A, Michael Reiziger was dethroning Milan in the European Cup with Ajax. The young Dutch full-back was part of Louis van Gaal&#8217;s young side that made back-to-back finals, losing the second to a juicy Juventus. Reiziger took his talents to Catalunya (via Milan) and became a huge part of the Dutch revolution at Barcelona as well.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Gary Neville<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248060 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1690\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-1024x676.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-768x507.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-106x70.jpg 106w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-180x119.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-364x240.jpg 364w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-909x600.jpg 909w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-240x158.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-1100x726.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-85x56.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210755\/1247894_1247894_PA-4078234-copy-330x218.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 1995-2010<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Manchester United<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> England<\/p>\n<p>Gary Neville was England&#8217;s next iconic No. 2, inheriting the shirt to begin the 1995\/96 season. The young man with the questionable facial hair became a mainstay for club and country faster than any of his more talented team-mates from the Class of &#8217;92. Neville was a pillar of consistency across Trebles and league titles until injuries really took their toll on his body, and he became more known as a provider of memes than anything else.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Michel Salgado<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 1997-2009 + 2011-2012<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Celta Vigo, Real Madrid<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Spain<\/p>\n<p>While Gary Neville was busy being a stalwart and a professional right-back in England, Spain&#8217;s own version emerged in Michel Salgado. A constant figure in the original <em>Galacticos<\/em> team, Salgado was the unheralded and un-messy one that just got it done defensively and allowed his talented, temperamental and titanic team-mates to take the glory.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Clint Dempsey<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248061 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2334\" height=\"1621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603.jpg 2334w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-1024x711.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-768x533.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-110x76.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-101x70.jpg 101w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-66x46.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-80x56.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-180x125.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-346x240.jpg 346w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-864x600.jpg 864w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-240x167.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-1100x764.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-85x59.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-29x20.jpg 29w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20210957\/1247894_1247894_PA-15583603-330x229.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2334px) 100vw, 2334px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2003-2006 + 2012-2018<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> New England Revolution, Spurs, Seattle Sounders<\/p>\n<p>Clint Dempsey is nowhere near as iconic as the others on this list for his on-pitch exploits but nevertheless must be included both because he&#8217;s a forward who wore No. 2, and also as his nickname is literally &#8220;Deuce.&#8221; Ironically, Dempsey never wore his beloved No. 2 for Fulham, the club he is most associated with, nor for the USMNT, but still&#8230; he had to be in.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Branislav Ivanovic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2007-2017<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Chelsea<\/p>\n<p>Jose Mourinho never gave too much concern to squad numbers (i.e. when he let Khalid Boulharouz wear the No. 9) but when he gave Branislav Ivanovic the No. 2, he marked the beginning of a quietly iconic career for the Serbian.<\/p>\n<p>Ivanovic was a defensive monster whether at right-back or centre-back and has won everything but the Club World Cup in Chelsea blue, with a last second Europa League final winning goal to his name as well! Why does Cesar Azpilicueta, the greatest right-back in Chelsea history, wear No. 28? Because Ivanovic held the No. 2 when he showed up!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dani Alves<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[bp-cta index=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2009-2013<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Barcelona<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Brazil<\/p>\n<p>The greatest right-back in the history of the game (sorry Cafu) and the godfather of modern football&#8217;s newest trend (you&#8217;re welcome, Trent, Reece, Joao, etc.) wore many numbers for Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p>In fact each of his three Champions League wins came wearing a different shirt number, and he&#8217;s onto his fifth different number now he&#8217;s back in Catalunya in 2022. And even his Europa League wins with Sevilla came wearing No. 4. But in his best period as a player, when he was a key component in the greatest club side ever assembled, he rocked that No. 2 like few did before &#8212; and even fewer have since.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Diego Godin<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248067 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-110x73.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-105x70.jpg 105w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211730\/1247894_1247894_PA-39639451-copy-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2011-2021<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Cagliari<\/p>\n<p>At the same time as Alves was rocking the 2 in Catalunya as an attacking genius, Diego Godin reversed it and brought defensive glory to the shirt. The massive Uruguayan, who amusingly wears No. 3 for his country, was a key player for Diego Simeone as he turned Atletico Madrid from also-rans to champions of Spain and very nearly champions of Europe. Godin was a cornerstone of consistency, even when he was past his best in Serie A with Inter. And he really did the No. 2 proud.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kyle Walker<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2013-present<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Spurs, Manchester City<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> England<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Walker is a classic English right-back in that he&#8217;s really flipping good but almost never gets the credit for it. Originally a flying wing-back under Mauricio Pochettino for Spurs, he then moved to Manchester City where Pep Guardiola has turned him into the anti-Dani Alves. Instead of liberating Walker into an attacking wizard, he&#8217;s turned him into one of the greatest safety valves in the modern game. A phenomenal defensive presence who helps City on the cover so often, Pep has had to move Joao Cancelo to left-back just to get the phenomenal Portuguese player into the team. Walker is immovable!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>2021\/22 Champions League outright odds with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/william-hill?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">William Hill<\/a>\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Man City \u2013 9\/4<\/li>\n<li>Liverpool \u2013 4\/1<\/li>\n<li>Bayern \u2013 9\/2<\/li>\n<li>PSG \u2013 8\/1<\/li>\n<li>Chelsea \u2013 9\/1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>18+ only.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Be Gamble Aware<\/a>. Odds in this article are correct at the time of writing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Antonio Rudiger<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2015-present<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Roma, Chelsea<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Germany<\/p>\n<p>Antonio Rudiger is the perfect heir to both Branislav Ivanovic and Diego Godin, and the German is on his way to matching (or even surpassing?) the legacies of both men with his terrifying play in the Chelsea defence in that No. 2 shirt.\u00a0Rudiger is a sensational tone-setter and does the same for Germany as well, albeit not quite as successfully, yet. Word of his contract expiry is baffling because he is so good that Chelsea need to just pay this man what he is owed because hot damn, he&#8217;s amazing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dani Carvajal<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248062 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-110x74.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-104x70.jpg 104w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-80x54.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-180x121.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-357x240.jpg 357w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-893x600.jpg 893w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-240x161.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-1100x739.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/02\/20211310\/1247894_1247894_PA-50947049-copy-330x222.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Years wearing the shirt:<\/strong> 2016-present<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clubs:<\/strong> Real Madrid<\/p>\n<p><strong>Country:<\/strong> Spain<\/p>\n<p>A true heir to Michel Salgado in terms of quality and style of play, Dani Carvajal is the rugged and hard-nosed right-back who kept Zinedine Zidane&#8217;s <em>Galacticos<\/em> in check. And although he won his first two Champions Leagues rocking the No. 15, once he could switch to the No. 2, he helped deliver Real Madrid&#8217;s greatest season since 1958 as <em>Los Blancos<\/em> romped away with a European Double.<\/p>\n<p>Carvajal completed his three-peat of Champions Leagues the next year, and even though injury has decimated him lately, a player of his dogged determination is not likely to give up easily. If one trait is common among all of these great No. 2&#8217;s, it is the will and desire to fight and fight for every inch out on the pitch. To that end, Dani Carvajal is a perfect way to end this timeline of iconic No. 2&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>The question now becomes: who next? Two of the three best young right-backs in the world don&#8217;t wear No. 2 and although one can&#8217;t take No. 2, the other doesn&#8217;t seem fussed. That leaves Achraf Hakimi looking likely to be football&#8217;s next, with Dayot Upamecano not far behind him. Can anyone else join that list? Sergino Dest? Perhaps Tariq Lamptey if he gets a big move? We&#8217;ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everyone knows who the great No.1s in football history are, but what about the No. 2s? We&#8217;re not talking about managers and their assistants (although let&#8217;s take a moment to doff our collective caps to Bob Paisley, Jose Mourinho and Tito Vilanova, who went from world-class No.2s to world-class No.1s in the dugout). This article&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":204,"featured_media":1248056,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The No. 2 shirt is one of the most iconic in the game, and we pay homage to those who have worn the reverend jersey with merit and world-class distinction.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1247894","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A brief history of European football\u2019s most iconic No.2s, from Cafu to Gary Neville | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The No. 2 shirt is one of the most iconic in the game, and we 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