Liverpool confirm Luis Diaz to take iconic shirt number

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Liverpool confirm Luis Diaz to take iconic shirt number

Liverpool have confirmed that Luis Diaz will no longer wear the number 23 shirt worn since he joined the club from FC Porto in January 2022.

The 26-year-old saw his first full campaign at Anfield disrupted by injury, playing just 21 games in all competitions.

Diaz still registered five goals for the Reds in that time to take his tally for the club up to 11 strikes from 47 appearances in England.

In a summer of change at Liverpool, the club have already confirmed that new signing Alexis Mac Allister will take the number ten shirt at Anfield, most recently worn by Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho, but Diaz will also be taking on a new number during 2023/24.

James Milner's departure from the club has opened up the opportunity for Diaz to take the iconic number seven shirt, which is full of prestige and history.

Kenny Dalglish, Luis Suarez and Peter Beardsley are three of the most revered players to have worn the number, while Steve McManaman, John Aldridge and Ian Callaghan are other famous alumni.

The shirt had been occupied by Milner for eight years, after he traded Manchester for Merseyside at the end of his contract with current Premier League champions City in 2015.

Milner played 332 times for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 26 goals, and was a key part of the side that ended the club's 30-year wait for a domestic league title in 2020.

The 37-year-old also won the Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Community Shield during his time in Liverpool red, before a move to Brighton on a free transfer was announced earlier this summer despite Jurgen Klopp's desire for him to remain.

Diaz is no stranger to wearing the number seven shirt having donned it at Porto for two-and-a-half seasons - he also uses the number when representing Colombia at international level.