Manchester United have confirmed their squad numbers for the upcoming season, with Marcus Rashford set to wear the No.9 shirt. The announcement also includes 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, who has been officially handed the No.77.
Rashford's return and squad number
Rashford only returned to Carrington last weekend after playing for England at the World Cup, but he was able to feature off the bench in United's final pre-season clash against AC Milan. He wore the No.9 shirt in that game, and although United said it was temporary, he has now been given that squad number.
Rashford had previously worn the No.10 before being frozen out at Old Trafford, with Matheus Cunha now occupying that number. He wore 9 and 14 during loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively. He has two years left on his United contract.
JJ Gabriel's number and academy role
JJ Gabriel has been officially handed the No.77, which he wore throughout pre-season, while he has used the No.10 for academy outings. The 15-year-old is eligible to play in the Premier League this season, but he has not been included in the squad to face Hull City.
Rashford has been named in that squad along with Benjamin Sesko, but there is no place for Amad due to a training injury. As a result, Rashford is likely to be first in line to replace a wide player during the game with the No.9 on his back.
History of the No.9 shirt
Rasmus Hojlund took on the No.9 shirt after Anthony Martial's exit from United in the summer of 2024, but he held it for just one full season. Notable figures such as Andy Cole, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dimitar Berbatov have all worn the No.9 for United in the Premier League era, with Sir Bobby Charlton among the legends to have worn it before that period.
Reflecting on Rashford last week, Carrick said: "He's a very good player, and I think if you're going to have a career over 10 or 15 years, there's going to be times when things go in a direction and maybe a different direction. I think there are ups and downs, and that doesn't judge you as a one-off kind of judgment."
Carrick added: "He's our player. He arrived back with Kobbie [Mainoo], and Lisandro [Martinez] came the day after, and he's part of the group like anybody else. He came in, he's trained really well. I've known him a long time, like I've known some of the others a long time, so I don't treat him any different to anybody else, but it's been good to have him around the group again this week. So I'm really positive with that."
