Liverpool right-back Trent Alexnader-Arnold’s reason of wearing shirt number 66 is a result of someone carrying out a relatively common task within their job.
Reds’ kit management coordinator Lee Radcliffe is the man behind the story as he was the one who gave Alexander-Arnold the shirt number after he first progressed to Melwood from the Kirkby Academy.
“When we get any young lads that come down from the Academy, we always deliberately try to give them a high-ish number,” explained Radcliffe as quoted by the official website of Liverpool.
“We don’t like to give them a low number in case they sort of think they’ve made it straight away, if you know what I mean.
“You pick it out because it’s a free number and it’s around that sort of number you think, ‘We’ll give that out because he’s only just come down’.
“When you see him now lifting trophies and celebrating with No.66 on the back, it’s a weird feeling and I can’t really describe it. It’s weird to see such a high number and for someone to be happy with it!
“Someone like Trent has just been happy to be around the first team and obviously doesn’t realise how good he is. He doesn’t really ask for anything, to be honest.
“I think he’s that laidback that he’s obviously been given the number and thought, ‘Yeah, that’ll do me. I’ll keep that’, and not realised how iconic it’s become over the years,” he added.
Alexander-Arnold has so far appeared in 125 matches for Liverpool donning shirt number 66 and has won the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup along the way.