Andy Robertson could be forced to change shirt numbers at Tottenham due to 14-year tradition

We are still waiting for developments surrounding Andy Robertson’s proposed move to Tottenham, but one thing is clear: he won’t be wearing the number 26 here.

As the January transfer window ticks on, Tottenham are pushing to make Andy Robertson their third signing of the month.

News of Spurs’ interest in Robertson broke last week and came as a surprise to everyone. The Liverpool man is available for free this summer, but Tottenham are prepared to pay a small fee for Robertson to get a deal done now.

If and when the transfer does happen, though, it seems Robertson will have to switch up his shirt number, and it’s all Ledley King’s fault.

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Ledley King’s number 26 is not available at Tottenham

Robertson has worn the number 26 shirt at Liverpool for his entire stay at Anfield. He also wore the same number at Hull City and at Dundee United.

It was the only number available to him at Dundee United and the decision has stuck with him for more than 13 years now. Interestingly, the number also holds significance as it relates to his son’s date of birth.

However, the number 26 shirt has not been used by the Lilywhites since Tottenham legend Ledley King retired back in 2012.

While the shirt is not officially retired, it’s clearly not something the club is willing to hand out in a hurry. Spurs fans are already divided over Robertson, so giving him that special shirt number probably wouldn’t go down too well.

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What shirt numbers could Andy Robertson take at Spurs?

Assuming Robertson won’t be getting the number 26 shirt, we can have a look at the other options available to him if he joins Spurs.

If he wants to pick a number in the starting XI spots, Robertson could go a little unorthodox as a left-back wearing the number 2 shirt (it feels weird, but it has been done before). He could also take number 5, which also feels a little off.

Beyond that, realistic options include number 12, number 16, or number 18. There’s also number 25 and number 27 that feel like they would work for Robertson.

Bigger numbers include 32, 34, and we may also see number 36 become available if Alejo Veliz’s sale to Bahia goes through soon.

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