England footballers to wear 'legacy numbers' in 1000th international

The England national football team will wear special shirts to commemorate the country's 1000th game when they face Montenegro at Wembley on November 14, 2019. On Wednesday, the Football Association (FA) released details that they intend to commemorate the landmark occasion. Every individual who has represented England at the men's senior-level has been assigned their own unique number.

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It will be a significant milestone in England’s 147-year history. And to commemorate the occasion, the current squad will take to the pitch wearing individual legacy numbers on their shirts, while the notable contributions of other former internationals will also be recognised.

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World Cup-winning team also invited

Former captains and members of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team will be at Wembley Stadium to mark the occasion. Manager Gareth Southgate said that it is a poignant moment to be involved in this game and it's important that they leave the shirt in a better place than when they had found it. Viv Anderson, the first black professional footballer to represent England at senior level, will also attend in recognition of his own notable role in the team’s history.

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The legacy number system will start from Robert Baker, the goalkeeper in the first international, to the most recent cap winner Tyrone Mings, at 1,244. Southgate, who played for England between 1995 and 2004, has been given the number 1,071. As is already recognised in other sports, the associations across will now adopt this tradition moving forward with UEFA granting special dispensation for legacy numbers to be displayed underneath the crest for the 1000th game.

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The Football Association said the legacy numbers would be printed underneath the national crest. The numbers will be retained in subsequent games but will be printed inside the collar. England's cricket players also wear legacy numbers on their shirts as a chronological record of their first cap.

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