With Tomas Rosicky’s departure from Arsenal FC, Alexis Sanchez has now become the new no. 7 at the club.
The no. 7 is a popular kit number that has been made famous by great players like George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul Gonzalez, and Luis Figo.
It is generally worn by a creative midfielder or a winger. Alexis Sanchez has started following this tradition in his national team Chile, where he has also been given the ‘lucky number’. Recently Arsenal unveiled the Sanchez’s new kit no. in a photo shoot.
New season, new kit, new number for @Alexis_Sanchez https://t.co/rDf8iC1fXQ pic.twitter.com/H08v8Fyf9B
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 23, 2016
Sanchez is definitely one of the most talented players to wear the no.7 jersey for the Gunners. However, the Chilean has a rich legacy to keep up with. Here are a few of the most popular players who donned the famous jersey for Arsenal.
Liam Brady (at Arsenal from 1973-80)
Playing as an attacking midfielder, Liam Brady was one of the best creative players to have played for Arsenal. The Irishman got his debut for Arsenal at the young age of 17, and there was no looking back since then. Within a couple of years, Brady went on to secure his spot as a regular in the first team.
However, it was not till the mid or late 70s, when Brady started to really show the world of football what he could do. Brady formed a formidable partnership with the then Arsenal striker and fellow Ireland international Frank Stapleton.
His greatest moment for Arsenal was when he won the 1979 FA Cup with the club, playing a direct part in two of Arsenal’s goal in a 3-2 win over Manchester United in the final. Brady also became the first foreign player to win the PFA Player of the Year award, in 1979. He was later bought by Juventus for £500,000, where he won two consecutive Serie A titles in two seasons.
David Rocastle (at Arsenal from 1984-92)
The right winger was one of the most skilfull players that Arsenal had in the 1980s. Rocastle had some problems with his vision early on in his career, which is why he had problems playing with his head up. However, that problem was fixed after Rocastle was given a pair of contact lenses, and his football career simply took off from there.
Rocastle was at the peak of his Arsenal career in the latter half of the 1980s, winning the League Championship in 1989 and 1991. Unfortunately though he missed out on playing the European Cup after winning the League in 1989, as the English clubs were banned from European competitions for the Heysel tragedy.
The Arsenal great’s international career also did not really take off, as he got only 14 caps for England. He was not selected for either of the 1990 World Cup or the 1992 Euro squads. Unfortunately Rocastle was diagnosed with an aggressive version of lymphoma in 2001, and passed away that very year, at the young age of 33.
Robert Pires (at Arsenal from 2000-06)
The Frenchman was perhaps one of the best wingers that Arsenal ever had. Robert Pires had arrived at Arsenal in 2000, as a replacement for Marc Overmars. However, the Frenchman took some time to settle into life in English football.
After an inconsistent debut season, Pires finally began to show his true colours, churning out good performances in important games. Pires formed a good partnership with fellow France international Thierry Henry, as the two combined to run riot in the opposition defences.
The highlight of Pires’s career was when he won the Premier League title with Arsenal in 2004, helping the Gunners become the first team in 115 years to win the league without losing a single match. However, things started to get a little sour with manager Arsene Wenger towards the end of his six year stay at Arsenal.
His last match in an Arsenal shirt was the 2006 UEFA Champions League against Barcelona, which the Catalans won 2-1. To make matters worse for Pires, he was taken off on early in the first half after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off.
