10 retired shirt numbers of English clubs

The retirement of a shirt number in football is relatively rare compared to other sports, but there have been cases where several clubs have devoted specific numbers to the players who have represented them in the past.

Liverpool has become the last side to do exactly that, after the very sad news of Diogo Jotais passing. The Portuguese striker wore shirt number 20 to Anfield and will be the last to do for the Reds after those of Anfield honored him by retiring the jersey.

Other clubs have immortalized their former players by hanging up the shirt numbers.

10

Jude Bellingham

Birmingham City – Shirt number 22

Birmingham City knew they had a talent on their hands when they decided to remove the number 22 shirt from Jude Bellingham when he left St Andrew’s in 2020.

Now known as one of the best field circles in the world for Real Madrid, Bellingham was only 17 years old when he exchanged Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund.

Some have seen him as an interesting decision of the blues, but over time, you can see why they decided to do this exactly.

9

Bobby Moore

West Ham – Shirt number 6

The only Englishman to lift the World Cup, Bobby Moore is a legend of three lions and at the club level, is immortalized by West Ham.

The central rear made more than 600 appearances for the Hammers over a period of 16 years, helping the irons to win the FA cup and the Cup of the UEFA Cup winners.

Moore was only 51 years old when he died in 1993, and 15 years later, West Ham decided to withdraw his shirt number 6 in honor of their biggest defender of all time.

8

Dylan tombings

West Ham – Shirt number 38

In addition to the retirement of shirt number 6 for Moore, West Ham also made the decision to hang up the number 38 shirt in memory of Dylan Tomdes.

The Australian striker progressed in the Hammers Academy and made an appearance for irons in 2012 after overcoming testicular cancer a few months ago. However, tragically, raffle cancer has returned and metastasized in his liver, the young who died in April 2014.

7

Enemy Marc-Vivian

Manchester City – Shirt number 23

During the 2002/03 season, Marc-Vivien’s enemy impressed in Manchester City in Lyon and was then selected to play for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup.

The midfielder helped his nation at the semi-finals, but collapsed against Colombia in the second half and was transported urgently to the hospital. The enemy died shortly after reaching the hospital, with an autopsy showing a heart problem for his death.

City, which was managed by Kevin Keegan at the time, acted quickly and announced that they would withdraw shirt number 23 from the enemy in his memory.

6

Matija Sarkic

Millwall – Shirt number 20

In the summer of 2024, at the age of 26, the Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic suddenly died of heart failure.

International of Montenegro, Sarkic did the permanent move to the den in 2023 of Wolves after loan spells at Shrewsbury Town, Birmingham City and Stoke City.

He had a big impact in a short period of time with Millwall, which withdrew his number 20 and also presented the “Matija Sarkic Award” for the best stop of the season.

5

Joe Thompson

Rochdale – Shirt number 15

Joe Thompson was rightly recognized as a legend from Rochdale, after making more than 200 appearances for the club through three spells.

The midfielder scored an emblematic goal in 2018, which meant that Dale avoided the relegation of Ligue 1 and retired a year later. Thompson received a cancer diagnosis for the third time in 2024 and died a year later at the age of 36.

Rochdale was quick to withdraw his number 15 shirt in honor of their former star, calling him “an incredible person who had a positive impact on everyone”.

4

Billy Kee

Accrington Stanley – Shirt number 29

Billy Kee represented many football league clubs during his career, but it was with accrington Stanley where he was best known after scoring 83 goals in more than 200 appearances.

However, at the beginning of 2020 at the age of 30, Kee decided to withdraw from football after asking for treatment for depression, anxiety and bulimia.

Accrington Stanley and Kee agreed to terminate his contract, the club devoting number 29 to their former striker.

3

Ray Jones

QPR – Shirt number 31

Queens Park Rangers withdrew his shirt number 31 in 2007 after the death of the very classified adolescent Ray Jones, who died in a car accident.

Jones, who was only 18 years old, had already made more than 30 appearances in the championship for the R and had a promising career in front of him before the tragic incident.

2

Jack Lester

Chesterfield – Shirt number 14

Jack Lester scored as often as Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres in his first season as a Chesterfield player, and he was rightly so as a legend of the club after six years of free score with the club.

The striker helped the Spireitis to win League two and the football league trophy during his stay at the SMH group stadium, which led to the retirement of the club of the shirt number 14 in 2013 in his honor. Lester could not stay away, however, and returned as a manager four years later.

1

Diogo Jota

Liverpool – Shirt number 20

More recently, the death of Diogo Jota in the summer of 2025 amazed the world of football. Only a week after her wedding, Jota and his brother Andre Silva were involved in a deadly car accident during the dead.

The Portugal striker helped the Reds win the title of the Premier League a few months before his death, the Reds dedicating the number 20 shirt to Jota forever.