For Alexis Mac Allister, there was only ever going to be one winner when he was presented with the options for his Liverpool squad number last week.
For some, the allure of the No.7 at Anfield carries the most weight. It's enough to evoke memories of Kevin Keegan and Sir Kenny Dalglish from a glorious and trophy-laden past, while Luis Suarez wore it with some distinction in more recent times before James Milner forged a reputation as arguably the greatest free transfer in the club's history.
The No.9 is another laced with history for the Reds. From Ian Rush - the all-time leading scorer at the club - through to Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres, Liverpool have a number of prolific marksmen who have done justice to the digit best associated with goalscorers in football. Roberto Firmino, who took the No.9 shirt in 2017, will become known as another legendary figure to have turned out with it.
The No.8 at Anfield, however, is possibly most loaded with significance, certainly for supporters of the modern era. It took a brave player to be the first to wear the shirt post-Steven Gerrard but for Naby Keita, it was a bold decision that never really paid off, despite the undoubted success Liverpool enjoyed during his time on Merseyside.
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But while the squad numbers of 7, 8, and 9 might appeal to any new attacking addition, it was the No.10 that Mac Allister chose as the ideal one for him on the back of his Liverpool shirt for the coming campaign. In Argentina, it is synonymous with two of the greatest players to have ever lived in Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi and it's one that isn't worn lightly for those in the national set-up of the current world champions.
“I could wear the No 10 in the Under-23s,” Mac Allister has said previously. “But I don’t want to wear it in the first team. Hopefully Messi will wear that number for a long time.” Back in 2001, the Argentina national side attempted to retire the number in honour of arguably their greatest son, Maradona. The Argentina FA asked FIFA for special dispensation to officially withdraw the No.10 jersey from all tiers of their teams.
"Apart from the recognition Maradona has received around the world, the measure will remove the weight of responsibility borne by any player using the number that shined so brightly on Maradona," Carlos Bilardo, who was Maradona's manager during their 1986 World Cup triumph, said at the time. However, the request was denied, leading to Messi eventually succeeding Maradona as a World Cup-winning No.10.
At the age of 35, Messi has more games behind him than he does ahead of him in his career but it'd take a remarkably strong-willed character to ask for the shirt number once the iconic Argentinian eventually decides to call time on his playing days. Mac Allister might be content simply possessing the squad number for Liverpool.
"I know how important the No.10 is in football,” Mac Allister, who moved to the club last week, told Liverpoolfc.com upon his arrival. “I had the possibility to take the No.8 as well, which is a big number for this club because of Gerrard, of course. But I decided for No.10 because I used it a lot of times in Argentina, in Brighton, U23s national team as well. It’s a number that I really like and that’s why I chose it.”
Mac Allister will succeed Sadio Mane as the club's latest No.10, following in the footsteps of Michael Owen, John Barnes and Philippe Coutinho. It's a squad number that is imbued with significance of its own at Anfield but the decision to choose it over the 8 that Gerrard made famous is a wise one from the 24-year-old as he takes his first tentative steps towards stardom at Liverpool.
In modern football, squad numbers are perhaps not as important as they once were. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for example, has worn the obscure 66 on his back throughout his entire professional career while left-back Andy Robertson has been the club's No.26 since joining from Hull City in 2017. Captain Jordan Henderson has never switched from the 14 shirt he was given upon his 2011 arrival from Sunderland and Liverpool's No.1 list in recent times is an unflattering one prior to Alisson Becker's signing in 2018.
Going further back, Jamie Carragher lifted 11 trophies for the Reds with a less-than-traditional centre-back number of 23. The legendary defender's charity, established after his retirement, was subsequently named 'the 23 Foundation' in homage to the shirt.
Despite the dwindling focus on squad numbers, however, it is still a pertinent question to ask why Liverpool found themselves heading into the summer with as many as four historically 'important' squad numbers free and available. Does that reveal something about the lack of forward planning for the squad or is it just a quirk of coincidence?
The next stages of Liverpool's summer transfer window will be intriguing and the exciting squad numbers that are left free suggest that the next arrivals through the door will also have similar concerns as Mac Allister to contend with regarding the history behind the digits available. To some, it's a non-issue, but for others, it is a very real consideration.
The departures of free agents Firmino, Milner and Keita have freed up three traditional valuable and meaningful squad numbers, and while there is some speculation that No.27 Darwin Nunez may wish to succeed Firmino as the No.9 going forward, the decision to swap numbers after the official release of the new season's strip is fraught with problems.
For example, Firmino and the club took the decision to organise an private autograph session in 2017 after he had decided to switch to 9 from 11, upon a request from Mohamed Salah. As a gesture of goodwill, the Brazilian was tasked with signing shirts for a select number of supporters who had already purchased the 2017/18 shirt with his name and out-of-date squad number on the back. The event was not publicised at the time given the sheer raft of fans who might have been able to step forward to make use of the offer.
With a club as rich in heritage as Liverpool, Mac Allister was always going to take on a squad number imbued with meaning given what was available to him last week but he has a chance to forge a new path as the Reds' first No.10 since Mane. If taking on the number for Argentina after Messi is too tall an order for anyone, the decision to do so at Anfield is at least somewhat less significant.
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