Angel Di Maria claims that he didn't have a choice but to take the No.7 shirt at Manchester United.
Di Maria would spend just one forgettable season at Old Trafford before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain, with little return found on sizeable investment.
He certainly failed to live up to the standards set by No.7s that went before him, but the 31-year-old says it was never his desire to take on the iconic number.
Di Maria told Ligue 1 on why he took the No.11 shirt at PSG: “I don’t really know. When I arrived, I saw that the number 11 was available.
“It’s a shirt number I wore a lot when I was younger and I was keen to get once again.
“At Real Madrid, number 11 was already taken, so I took 22. At Manchester United they gave me number 7, I didn’t get a choice. I would have liked 11 but there we are. Here, I had a choice, so I chose 11!”
Di Maria has gone on to take in over 200 games for PSG, collecting three Ligue 1 titles along the way, and admits to rediscovering his passion for the game after a testing spell in England.
He added: “PSG is very important to me. They welcomed me with open arms in a period when I was finding it difficult in Manchester.
“I came here with ambition, and determination to succeed. Little by little, I showed that I was capable, that I could help the club achieve great things. I always do my best to help the club succeed.”