Premier League: Our Highest Shirt Numbers XI For The Season So Far
The Premier League returns this week for the first time since Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement that he will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
One part of Klopp's legacy at Liverpool, has been to give young players a chance in his first team.
Right now, Conor Bradley is the latest to be given an extended role in Klopp’s team, who are second favourites with leading football betting sites to win their second Premier League title.
Bradley has started Liverpool’s last four league and cup games wearing the number 84 shirt, and he has proved he has a bright future ahead of him.
A high shirt number usually means a young player wearing it as clubs look to develop their own players to stay within the guidelines of the league’s financial fair play policy.
At Gambling.com, we’ve put together a Premier League XI of current players with the highest shirt numbers, who have made their league debut.
Keeper Kelleher Is Safe Pair Of Hands
Caoimhin Kelleher is one of many young players to have been given a chance by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Kelleher made his first team debut in the League Cup in September 2019, but he only has seven league appearances to his name.
Now 25, Kelleher is at the stage of his career where he might need to leave Anfield to become a first choice goalkeeper.
The majority of Kelleher's appearances have come in cup competitions and he knows he will always be second choice as long as Alisson remains at the club.
Three More Reds Make Up The Back Four
It’s testament to Klopp’s faith in young players that five of our team is made up of Liverpool players.
Conor Bradley is joined in our defence by team-mates Jarell Quansah and Owen Beck, who have both featured for the Reds in the league in recent weeks.
After coming through the youth set up at the Etihad, Rico Lewis is making a name for himself at Manchester City, who are favourites on leading betting apps to win back-to-back Champions League titles this season.
Lewis may want to change from number 82 to a more conventional number if he continues his development or he could follow the path set by his team-mate Phil Foden, who still wears number 47.
Trent To Pull The Strings In Midfield
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most experienced player in our XI. Now 25, the England international has stuck with the number 66 shirt number first handed to him when he made his league debut in December 2016.
Over 200 appearances later in all competitions, the versatile player can do a solid job at right back or in midfielder, where he has played a number of times this season.
Around him are three players who have a combined four minutes of Premier League substitute action to their names.
George Abbott (Tottenham), Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves) and Tyler Onyango (Everton) will hope to be involved more in the second half of the season.
Miley And Dobbin Complete The Line Up
There’s nothing better for a football supporter to be able to sing “He’s One Of Our Own" when a young player is given a chance in the first team.
Circumstances may force that opportunity, talent might dictate it. Lewis Miley’s talent is there for all to see and he has earned his place in Eddie Howe’s Newcastle team.
Miley has made 17 appearances for Newcastle this season in all four competitions - the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup.
The 17-year-old signed a new and improved contract, which will keep the midfielder at the club he supports for the next few years.
Howe has to continue to game manage his young rising star to avoid a burnout in Miley's breakthrough season.
Leading the attack is Everton’s Lewis Dobbin. It’s never ideal throwing a young player into a team that is struggling, but that’s been the case with Dobbin.
Since making his Premier League debut for the Toffees in September 2021, Dobbin spent last season on loan for League One side Derby.
This season, Dobbin has been a part of manager’s Sean Dyche’s plans to win their battle against relegation.
As you can see from the odds below, UK betting sites are confident Everton will win their fight to avoid relegation for the third successive season.
So, Who’s Next?
The Premier League have hit Everton with a 10-point deduction already this season and both Everton and Nottingham Forest face further charges relating to profit and sustainability regulations.
With that in mind, more and more clubs might be inclined to reward their young players with an opportunity in the first team.
It might be the norm to see more and more young players grace the top flight with shirt numbers in the 80s and possibly the 90s.
Who's the next young rising star you would like to see given a chance at your Premier League club?
Methodology
Our methodology for this article was simple.
We checked the Premier League's official website for players who have a shirt number of 50 or higher, who have already made their league debut.
We then arranged the 11 highest into one team, with a 3-5-1-1 formation.
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