Who wore number 34 in football?

The odd duck of the number, it’s hard to find someone who actively seeks it. If you see someone wearing it they usually were assigned and then just don’t bother to change.

Martin Kelly

Martin Ronald Kelly is an English professional footballer who is known as a defender for Premier League club Crystal Palace.

Kelly began his career at hometown club Liverpool, making 62 appearances across all competitions from his debut in 2008, and winning the League Cup in 2012. In 2014, he transferred to Crystal Palace for a fee of £2 million.

He played two minutes for England in a friendly against Norway on 26 May 2012, making him the England player with the shortest international career. He was an unused member of their squad for UEFA Euro 2012.

Donny van de Beek

Donny van de Beek is a Dutch professional footballer who is known as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team.

He joined the Ajax academy in 2008. In 2015, Van de Beek made his competitive debut for the club in a UEFA Europa League match against Scottish club Celtic. In the 2016–17 season, Ajax progressed to the Europa League Final, but lost to Manchester United. During the 2017–18 season, Van de Beek established himself as a key player in Ajax’s starting eleven. Following the 2018–19 campaign, in which Ajax reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Van de Beek was listed among the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or. With Ajax, he won the Eredivisie title, KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield.

In international football, Van de Beek has represented the Netherlands at youth level. In November 2017, he made his senior international debut against Romania. In 2019, he was part of the squad that reached the first ever UEFA Nations League Final, but lost to Portugal.

At Ajax, Van de Beek played as a central midfielder. The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo writes that he plays a more offensive role compared to his counterparts on other teams. According to former Ajax manager Frank de Boer, Van de Beek plays best at the number six position. Goal.com described Van de Beek as a player who has “excellent control and a great eye for a pass as he links up with the attack and is dangerous as he makes runs into the box”. While playing for the Ajax academy, he was compared with Davy Klaassen. However, Van de Beek rejected the comparison and said that he was a player who wanted to keep the ball at his feet. Former Ajax captain Joël Veltman described Van de Beek as a player who “works very hard and can play between the lines”.

Dwight Gayle

Dwight Devon Boyd Gayle is an English professional footballer who is known as a striker for Premier League club Newcastle United.

Gayle began his career in the Arsenal Academy. After being released as a teenager, over the following seasons he worked his way back up through the English football pyramid via stints at Ryan, Stansted, Bishop’s Stortford, Dagenham & Redbridge and Peterborough United, before establishing himself in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. In 2016, he signed for Newcastle United.

He is described as an “energetic, hardworking, pacey striker” and a “natural finisher”.

Kwadwo Baah

Kwadwo Kyeremeh Baah is a professional footballer who is known as a forward for Premier League club Watford. He has represented England and Germany internationally.

Marin Pongracic

Marin Pongračić is a Croatian footballer who is known as a defender for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg. He also decided to represent the Croatia national team. Pongračić is principally a central defender but can also play at right-back or as a defensive midfielder.

Sofyan Amrabat

Sofyan Amrabat is a Moroccan professional footballer who is known as a midfielder for Serie A Italian club Fiorentina and the Morocco national team.

Born in the Netherlands, Amrabat holds Moroccan citizenship. He represented the Netherlands internationally at youth level in 2010, before switching allegiance to Morocco’s youth national team in 2013, representing them at senior level from 2017.

Ola Aina

Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina is a professional footballer who is known as a wing-back or Right back for Serie A club Torino, and the Nigeria national team. He is a good and versatile Defender.