Cristiano Ronaldo has Manchester United No.7 shirt again, which David Beckham and Eric Cantona have worn, but new signing will be wary of becoming like Angel Di Maria or Alexis Sanchez

Cristiano Ronaldo's No.7 shirt at Manchester United began its legendary odyssey when the late superstar George Best first pulled it on in the 1963/64 season.

He lifted the Red Devils' first ever European Cup wearing the jersey. Best scored an iconic goal in the final as he rounded Benfica goalkeeper Jose Henrique as Man United ran out 4-1 winners at Wembley.

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The shirt has now been handed to Ronaldo, for the second time, having performed similar heroics in his first spell at Old Trafford where he donned the iconic shirt.

He followed that lead set by Best and former Man United and England star Steve Coppell, who spent eight years ripping it up down the right.

On the significance of wearing the No.7 shirt, Coppell told talkSPORT: "I took over from Willie Morgan and was very proud and aware of the significance after George [Best]."

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Fast forward a few decades, and Ronaldo is one of the ten players to wear the Man United No.7 during the Premier League era.

It's fair to say it's been a mixed bag on who has worn it successfully and who hasn't...

Andrei Kanchelskis (1991-92)

A direct style of wing play from the former Russia international played a vital role in helping Man United end their 26-year wait for a league title.

He wore the shirt from the day he signed in 1991 until Eric Cantona arrived three months into the maiden Premier League season. The Premier League then introduced permanent squad numbers in 1993, with Cantona given the No.7 full-time.

Kanchelskis switched to No.14, but his form remained good enough for his name and his new number to become synonymous with each other.

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Eric Cantona (1992-97)

The flamboyant Frenchman was arguably the jewel in the crown of Sir Alex Ferguson’s fledgling dynasty. Cantona lifted four Premier League titles in five seasons, along with two FA Cups.

It was actually at the beginning of the 1993/94 season that the FA cracked down on more than one player wearing the same number in a season, but there was no question that the French icon would continue to don the jersey.

Cantona even kept it when he received a lengthy suspension for an infamous kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan in 1995.

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David Beckham (1997-03)

Cantona wore the No.7 for five years and it was the former England captain who was next in line.

Beckham left behind the No.10 he had made a name for himself in and wore the No.7 for six years. He also wore it as England captain.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (2003-09)

As Beckham left to join Real Madrid, Ronaldo was handed the iconic shirt when he signed as an 18-year-old in 2003, and had a lot to live up to.

United needn't have worried, though - Ronaldo was an absolute sensation wearing it throughout his six years at Old Trafford. Can he produce similar heroics second time round?

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Michael Owen (2009-12)

This is perhaps where things became a bit sketchy for Man United, and it seems fitting that a former Liverpool hero would cast a curse on the coveted jersey.

Owen, who replaced Ronaldo as the No.7, had a perfect start to his Man United career with a stoppage-time winner against Manchester City in September 2009.

He played enough league matches (11) to lift the first and only league title of his career in 2010/11, but the injuries which had blighted his time at Newcastle continued throughout those three seasons at Old Trafford.

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Antonio Valencia (2012-14)

As an orthodox right midfielder, Valencia seemed an ideal candidate to be a good No.7. However, the Ecuadorian switched back to the No. 25 he had worn at Wigan, and in his first three seasons with the Red Devils, after just one campaign.

Speaking about going back to No.25, Valencia said in late 2013: "It was more to do with the fact that 25 was the number I had when I first came to the club and I played well wearing that, so I thought 'why don’t I go back to 25?'

"I feel my fortune has changed since going back to the 25 shirt."

Just as well really, as his form did improve after the u-turn, and he would later be converted into a right-back in the second half of his decade at Old Trafford.

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Angel Di Maria (2014-15)

As he arrived for a then-British record fee of £59.7million from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014, Di Maria was given the No.7.

Things began promisingly but fizzled out for the Argentine under Louis van Gaal. He was sold to PSG after one season.

The weight of the jersey didn't seem to matter too much to the player, however. Di Maria recently said he 'didn't give a f*** about it'.

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Memphis Depay (2015-17)

Considering he was a success with Lyon, has carried the Netherlands for intermittent periods, and has begun well at Barcelona, it's a surprise he wasn't a success at Man United.

But it may have been too soon to give a then 21-year-old Depay such a responsibility. Not everyone is like Ronaldo.

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Alexis Sanchez (2018-19)

Likely the incumbent to the shirt that United fans will remember least fondly, Sanchez was a complete shadow of the talisman Arsenal had for three-and-a-half seasons.

The Chilean joined in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with the Red Devils reportedly paying him £505,000 a week.

It didn't work out at all for Sanchez, who managed just five goals in 45 appearances for the club.

He later admitted he wanted to go back to Arsenal after just ONE training session at Man United.

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Edinson Cavani (2020-21)

The Uruguayan has restored some pride to Man United's No.7 shirt having enjoyed a fine first season at Old Trafford with 17 goals in all competitions.

But now Ronaldo has come to play, Cavani will wear the No.21 shirt after Man United managed to get special dispensation from the Premier League.

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It's a familiar number for El Matador, though - it's the one he wears with distinction for his country.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (2021-present)

He showed he could handle the pressure of the No.7 first time around and you'd back him to produce more magic once again.

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