Here we show you a brief information on ‘The Number 7’ curse at Manchester United
The number 7 curse has been a long-standing superstition at Manchester United since the days of the legendary George Best. It has been said that no player who has worn the iconic number 7 shirt for the Red Devils has gone on to have a successful career.
This “curse” has seen a number of famous players struggle to make an impact at Old Trafford. This lead to the belief that the number 7 shirt carries a certain amount of misfortune.
The curse began with George Best, who departed Manchester United in 1974 after a tumultuous period with the club. In his absence, the number 7 shirt was worn by a number of players. However, none of them managed to replicate the success that Best had achieved.
The likes of Steve Coppell, Mike Duxbury and Bryan Robson all failed to make a lasting impression at Old Trafford. On the other side, other players such as Ralph Milne and Andrei Kanchelskis were largely forgotten.
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This trend continued into the 1990s, with the likes of David Beckham, Eric Cantona, and Dwight Yorke all struggling to live up to the expectations of the number 7 shirt.
Beckham was widely criticised for his lack of consistency, while Cantona’s career was cut short due to his involvement in an on-field altercation. Yorke also failed to live up to his billing, and was eventually sold to Blackburn Rovers.
The curse then seemed to take a break, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen both enjoyed successful spells at Old Trafford. Ronaldo was an instant hit, becoming one of the best players in the world, while Owen scored a memorable late winner against Manchester City in 2009.
However, the curse returned in 2011 with Michael Owen’s departure, and the signing of Antonio Valencia. Valencia was widely criticised for his lack of end product. And his tenure as the number 7 ended in 2015 when he was released by the club.
He was then followed by Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez, both of whom failed to live up to expectations and were eventually sold.
