Who wore number 44 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.

Tahith Chong

Tahith Chong is a Dutch professional footballer who is known as a winger for EFL Championship club Birmingham City, on loan from Premier League club Manchester United.

Chong joined the Manchester United Academy aged 16, after progressing through the Feyenoord youth system. He has won both the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year and Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year awards at United. He made his professional debut in January 2019, in an FA Cup game against Reading. In August 2020, he joined Werder Bremen on a season-long loan, which was cut short in January 2021 to facilitate a loan move to Club Brugge.

He has played for the Netherlands national team from under-15 to under-21 level.

Jairo Riedewald

Jaïro Jocquim Riedewald is a Dutch professional footballer who is known as a defender or midfielder for Premier League club Crystal Palace.

Andrew Omobamidele

Andrew Abiola Omobamidele is an Irish professional footballer who is known as a defender for Premier League club Norwich City and the Republic of Ireland national team. He also decided to represent Ireland at youth levels, including U21 team.

Fraser Forster

Fraser Gerard Forster is an English professional footballer who is known as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Southampton. He has played for the English national team from 2013 to 2016.

Forster started his career with Newcastle United and had brief loan spells with Stockport County and Bristol Rovers. He then spent a successful season on loan at Norwich City, helping the club win the League One title and promotion to the Championship. Forster then joined Celtic on loan for the 2010–11 season, and helped them win the Scottish Cup. He spent a further season on loan there, winning the Scottish Premier League before becoming a permanent squad member in 2012 for a transfer fee of £2.2 million. Forster won many plaudits for his performances at Celtic and in the Scottish top division he went 1,256 minutes without conceding a goal. In August 2014, he joined Southampton for a reported £10 million. Forster had a generally impressive debut season in the Premier League, but sustained a serious knee injury in March 2015 which ruled him out for the rest of the year. On his return in January 2016, he quickly found form again and went 708 minutes without conceding a goal. Forster’s return aided Southampton’s rise from thirteenth in the league to a sixth-place finish, earning them qualification for the following season’s UEFA Europa League.

Forster was selected for several England squads during 2012 and 2013 before finally making his first international appearance in November 2013. He was named in England’s squads for the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Despite his large build, Forster has a high level of agility; Ian Brown who coached him as a youth at Wallsend said that “he was and is an amazing shot stopper. I’ve seen him for Southampton save shots he shouldn’t, his body bends.” In one-on-situations, he appears to make his already large stature even bigger to an onrushing opponent.

Forster was, however, criticised in the early part of his time at Celtic for lacking confidence and command, and uncertain when he had the ball at his feet. In time he matured, with his confidence and kicking noticeably improved. His level of concentration was also noted; given Celtic’s dominance over the majority of their opponents in Scotland, their goalkeeper often has long periods of inactivity, but when eventually called into action Forster was invariably alert and ready.

Josip Stanisic

Josip Stanišić is a Croatian professional footballer who is known as a defender for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Croatia national team. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play in either full-back position, mostly as a right-back.

Kevin Kampl

Kevin Kampl is a German-Slovenian professional footballer who is known as a midfielder for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. Born in Germany, he represented the Slovenia national team at international level. Besides Germany, he has played in Austria.

Marvin Stefaniak

Marvin Stefaniak is a German professional footballer who is known as a midfielder for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg.

Mohamed Sankoh

Mohamed Sankoh is a Dutch professional footballer who is known as a striker for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.

Linus Gechter

Linus Jasper Gechter is a German professional footballer who is known as a centre-back for Hertha BSC.

Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski is a professional footballer who is known as a winger or midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Sweden national team.

Coming through from the youth system, Kulusevski made his senior debut for Atalanta in 2019, before joining Parma on loan at the beginning of the 2019–20 season. He joined Juventus during the winter transfer window for €35 million, and was sent back to Parma on loan for the rest of the season.

Kulusevski was born in Sweden to Macedonian parents; he represented both Macedonia and Sweden internationally at youth level, before opting to play for his birth country at senior level, making his full debut in 2019.

A tall, physically strong, and versatile player, Kulusevski is capable of playing in several midfield and attacking roles, and has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, as a box-to-box midfielder, as a winger on either flank, or even as an offensive-minded central midfielder, known as the mezzala role in Italian (literally “half-winger”); his main position is playing as an attacking midfielder behind the striker. He has also been deployed as a makeshift centre-forward on occasion. His main qualities are his acceleration, speed, stamina, and his ability to switch the play or provide assists and through balls to teammates, courtesy of his vision and passing ability. He also possesses good technique, dribbling skills, and striking ability, which enables him to score goals, in addition to creating chances for teammates.

Regarded as a promising and hard-working player in the media, his manager at Parma, Roberto D’Aversa, has compared Kulusevski to Mohamed Salah. He noted how the player “is always among the players who cover the most distance in every game”, and “has the right mentality”. Kulusevski himself named compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimović as an influence. Regarding his own playing style, he commented in a 2019 interview with Sportbladet: “I like to have the ball at my feet. I used to dribble a lot when I was a kid but I have got better at moving the ball more quickly. I have developed my defensive game, that was a weakness before, and that has made me a more complete player.” He has also cited Belgian footballers Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard as players he admires and seeks to emulate.

Konstantinos Manolas

Konstantinos “Kostas” Manolas is a Greek professional footballer who is known as a centre-back for Serie A club Napoli and the Greece national team.

Manolas possesses the speed to keep track of smaller, quicker attackers, while also possessing the strength and aggression needed to battle with more physical opponents. Without the ball, he is both assertive and attentive in his marking of opponents, never neglecting his defensive duties, and always keen for a challenge. He is also a deceptively quick footballer, given his size, able to sweep up behind a high-line but also having the versatility and discipline to play deeper. Although he is primarily known as a stopper, he is also a solid passer; indeed, few players better combine the virtues of an old-fashioned centre-half with the modern need to build play from the back. He is also known for his tackling and ability in the air.

David Strelec

David Strelec is a professional Slovak footballer famous for playing for for Spezia and the Slovak national team as a forward.

Andrea Carboni

Andrea Carboni is an Italian professional footballer who is known as a defender for Serie A club Cagliari.

Ethan Ampadu

Ethan Kwame Colm Raymond Ampadu is a Welsh professional footballer who is known as a centre back or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Venezia, on loan from Premier League club Chelsea, and the Wales national team. Ampadu made his senior debut for Wales in November 2017, and was part of their squad that reached the last 16 of UEFA Euro 2020. He previously played for Exeter City, where he became one of the youngest players to appear for the club’s first team, aged 15. He has also played for German club RB Leipzig and English club Sheffield United on loan.