7 best number 7's in football history

There have truly been some iconic number 7’s who have graced our sport. Manchester United has a whole list of players who donned the number 7 jersey and went on to achieve great things, while their bitter rivals Liverpool have also had some legendary number 7s.In football, if we consider the traditional 4-4-2 formation, the number 7 jersey is usually donned by the winger or the supporting forward thus making him one of the most important players on the pitch.Choosing the best 7 out of a long list of iconic number 7’s is no easy task, but we have picked the seven best players and there are some truly amazing footballers on this listNote: Out and out forwards like Raul and Suarez are not considered as they best epitomise the number 9 position, even though they wore the number 7 jersey

#7 Robert Pires

Pires was an integral part of the Arsenal ‘invincibles’ squad 

Arsenal legend Robert Pires was one of the most crucial members of the Arsenal side which went unbeaten throughout the entire system in 2003/04. The Frenchman has enjoyed a long career full of trophies at both the domestic and international level. 

Pires earned 79 caps for his country during which he won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 Euros followed by a COnfedaration Cup triumph in 2001 where he was the player of the tournament. Despite all his achievements with the national team, Pires is best remembered for his time at Arsenal.

The French winger spent time from 2000-2006 with the Gunners winning three FA Cups and two Premier Leagues along with a Champions League final appearance. Pires was one of the key architects in Arsenal’s stunning 2003/04 season. 

The Arsenal legend finished that season with an impressive tally of 14 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. He was Arsenal's second top scorer (behind Thierry Henry) and had the joint amount of assists (along with Dennis Bergkamp) that season.

The impact Pires had at Arsenal in just 6 years can be seen from the fact that he was voted as the 6th greatest player in Arsenal’s history.