Manchester United have announced the squad number that Andre Onana will wear following his move from Inter.
The Cameroonian completed his switch from San Siro to Old Trafford on Thursday evening, immediately travelling to meet up with his new teammates on their pre-season tour of the United States after signing an initial five-year contract.
Onana will become United’s new starting goalkeeper after the contract of club legend David de Gea expired. He was expected to inherit the Spaniard’s number one jersey – the standard option for most goalkeepers – but has instead opted for a different choice.
Instead, Onana will wear the number 24 shirt as it is the number he has worn most often throughout his senior club career, donning it at both Ajax and Inter.
He briefly took the number one during Ajax’s 2017/18 season before returning to 24 one year later.
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The number 24 is hardly an iconic number in football, but a surprisingly fair few club legends of United have worn it in the past.
Onana is the first Red Devils player to take on 24 since defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who left for Bayer Leverkusen in 2021.
Before that, it was worn for a staggering 12 seasons by midfield general Darren Fletcher, who is now United’s technical director.
Versatile defender Wes Brown wore the number 24 shirt during his first few seasons in United’s first team, while Paul Scholes and David Beckham took it on during the 1990s.
John O’Kane is the only other player to have been handed 24 as a permanent number for United.
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