Kalvin Phillips given unusual West Ham shirt number after Man City exit
Kalvin Phillips has followed former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in claiming the number 11 shirt at West Ham.
The Manchester City midfielder put pen to paper on a loan move to the London Stadium on Friday morning until the end of the season. The switch signals the end of a rotten 18-month spell at the Etihad Stadium since a £45m switch from Leeds.
During his half-season spell as a Hammer, Phillips has claimed an unusual shirt number. West Ham have confirmed that he will wear the No.11 shirt with the club - but that number is usually reserved for a winger or a forward.
It is the first time that Phillips has claimed the number. His first shirt with former side Leeds was 40, while he also claimed 27 before moving to 23 for five seasons.
He could not claim that number once he became a Man City player. 23 has been retired since 2003 as a mark of respect for former City star Marc-Vivien Foe, who tragically died after collapsing on the pitch.
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Instead, Phillips took the number four during his miserable spell at the Etihad Stadium. Now, he follows in the footsteps of Lucas Paqueta, Nikola Vlasic, Jesse Lingard and Robert Snodgrass in claiming West Ham’s number 11 shirt.
The 28-year-old could potentially pull on his new shirt for the first time next week. West Ham take on Bournemouth at the London Stadium next Thursday as they aim to win their first game in five in all competitions.
Jesse Lingard is among the previous owners of West Ham's number 11 shirt (Getty Images)Will Kalvin Phillips be a success at Man City? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Speaking after sealing his switch, Phillips said: “I’m really pleased to be here. There’s always been a lot of speculation about me moving to West Ham, so I’m really excited to get going now. There’s so much to look forward to in the second half of the season for the Club and I can’t wait to be part of it.
“There’s an unbelievable group here and if I can come in and add the quality that I know I’m capable of, I’m sure we can give the West Ham fans plenty to be excited about between now and the end of the season."
Elsewhere, David Moyes has hailed the Hammers’ ability to finally tempt Phillips to the London Stadium. He said: “We are really pleased to bring a player of Kalvin’s quality to West Ham United.
“We’ve been big admirers of him for a long time and we believe that he will add strength and competition to our squad. Kalvin is an England international midfielder, with proven Premier League experience. We’re excited to welcome him into the group and look forward to working with him.”
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