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10 greatest players to wear the #10 shirt

Lionel Messi in Barcelona colours
Lionel Messi in Barcelona colours

Arguably the most famous jersey in football, the no.10 shirt holds a lot of significance.

Traditionally worn by an attacking midfielder, the no.10 role symbolizes grace, elegance, flair, creativity and goals. Some of the best footballers to have played the game have donned the no.10 jersey.

Modern football has seen the decline of elite attacking midfielders. With football now extremely fast-paced, managers prefer speedy, technical wingers. The likes of Mesut Ozil and James Rodriguez have seen their stocks fall in recent years as a result.

This article looks at the ten greatest players to wear the #10 jersey.


#10 Francesco Totti

Francesco Totti was a one-club man
Francesco Totti was a one-club man

A one-club man, Francesco Totti was Roma's Golden Boy and is considered the club's greatest ever player.

Totti made his debut for Roma in 1992, but started making a proper impact during the 1994/95 season. Capable of operating in various forward positions, Totti's creativity, technical ability and elegance on the ball made him a mainstay at Roma for the next two decades.

Il Capitano is the second-highest goalscorer of all time in Serie A. The Italy international also has the most goals and games played for Roma. Totti made 785 appearances in all competitions for Roma, scoring 307 goals and providing 184 assists. He won the Serie A once with the club and was part of the Italy side that won the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Totti retired from football in 2017.


#9 Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is the Derby County manager
Wayne Rooney is the Derby County manager

Wayne Rooney was a prodigious footballer destined for greatness from a very young age.

A product of the Everton academy, Rooney's talent was undeniable. A winning goal against Arsenal aged 16 highlighted his ability and foreshadowed his greatness. Subsequent performances for the Toffees saw Manchester United pay £33 million in 2004 to acquire an 18-year-old Rooney, a move which raised plenty of eyebrows due to the finances involved.

The England international proved to be a shrewd acquisition. An aggressive, technically gifted and creative player, Rooney spent 13 seasons with the Old Trafford outfit. He became the club's all-time top goalscorer and the Premier League's second-highest goalscorer of all time.

The 35-year-old left Manchester United in 2017. After appearances for Everton and DC United, Rooney is currently the manager of Championship side Derby County.


#8 Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio is one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time
Roberto Baggio is one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time

Many see Roberto Baggio, famously nicknamed "The Divine Ponytail," as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time.

Baggio represented multiple Italian clubs during a storied career. An excellent creator, a dead-ball specialist and a capable goalscorer, the Italian made his name at Fiorentina. He later joined Juventus in a controversial move in 1990 for a fee of £11.5 million in 1990.

He made 200 appearances in all competitions for the Old Lady, scoring 115 goals. Baggio enjoyed stints with AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia later in his career. An incredible player, his trophy cabinet is not an adequate representation of his ability as a footballer. He won the Serie A twice, once with Juventus and once with AC Milan. Baggio also received the Ballon d'Or in 1993.


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