08 June 2023 , 21:05
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Liverpool's new signing Alexis Mac Allister has explained how he picked between two iconic shirt numbers at Liverpool.
On Thursday, the Reds completed the £45million signing of the Brighton midfielder, whose status soared in December when he helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Jurgen Klopp has been tracking the 24-year-old for considerable time and was able to seal the deal despite Liverpool missing out next season's Champions League.
After passing his medical on Thursday, Mac Allister set about his next critical task. Namely, choosing his squad number for the 2023/24 campaign, with Premier League fixtures to be released next Thursday.
And the former Argentinos Juniors man has opted for the famous No.10, that was previously donned by Sadio Mane. Other famous names to have worn the shirt at Anfield include John Barnes, Luis Garcia, Philippe Coutinho and Michael Owen.
“I know how important the number 10 is in football," he told Liverpool TV. "I had the possibility to take the number eight as well, which is a big number for this club because of [Steven] Gerrard. But I decided on number 10 because I use it a lot of times in Argentina, in Brighton, the national team under-23s as well. So it's a number that I really like and that's why I chose it."
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The No.8 shirt remains up for grabs though, following the departure of Naby Keita this summer with his contract set to expire. But with Klopp planning on a host of other incomings, there should be plenty of candidates to fill it.
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The Argentinian has signed for an initial fee of £45million (Getty Images)Mac Allister also spoke of his pride at moving to Liverpool, saying: “It feels amazing. It’s a dream come true, it’s amazing to be here and I can’t wait to get started. I wanted to be in [from] the first day of pre-season, so it’s good that everything is done. I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates.
“It was a fantastic year for me. World Cup, what we achieved with Brighton, but now it’s time to think about Liverpool and try to be a better player and a better human being every day."
The star made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls last season, scoring 12 times. And his capture will at least partly appease the club's failure to land Jude Bellingham, who has now reached a deal with Real Madrid.