Mohamed Salah 'inherits Sadio Mane's shirt number' in Singapore

Following Sadio Mane's departure to Bayern Munich, the number 10 jersey at Liverpool is currently vacant.

17/07/2022, 05:15 PM +00:00

Liverpool wasted no time in putting Tuesday’s heavy defeat to Manchester United behind them as they bounced back to clinch their first win of pre-season against Crystal Palace in Singapore on Friday. Goals in each half from Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah were enough for the Reds to clinch a comfortable 2-0 win.

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The number 10 shirt is the most acclaimed in football, thanks to legends such as Pele, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Yet after Sadio Mane ’s move to Bayern Munich, the jersey is currently vacant at Liverpool.

Unallocated at the start of a season for the first time in Premier League history, a number of great players have donned the shirt in recent years, with the Senegalese inheriting it from Philippe Coutinho and Michael Owen and John Barnes two of its most famous previous holders.

The number 10

Yet there was nearly another Liverpool number 10 in Singapore once the teamsheet dropped, as Mohamed Salah was listed as wearing the number rather than his traditional number 11.

Seeing as he wears the jersey for Egypt, it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility that the forward had traded in. And seeing as Mane had taken it up following Coutinho’s exit, was the 30-year-old following in his former strike-partner’s footsteps?

Alas no, the Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy final teamsheet was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not an unorthodox reveal for Salah claiming the most famous of shirt numbers. Rather, a simple typo with footage from the dressing room posted on the club’s social media accounts soon showing his name on his traditional shirt.

And while he might not have donned number 10 on his back in Singapore, he at least did finish the game as Liverpool captain after Klopp’s final nine substitutions left him as the most senior player on the pitch.