Sports News of Monday, 6 February 2017
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2017-02-06
Jordan Ayew will wear jersey number 3
Swansea City fans are surprised with Jordan Ayew’s decision to wear the No. 3 shirt at the club but the Ghanaian striker was left with little choice in the matter.
English Premier League rules dictate that players of clubs will keep their registered numbers for the entirety of the season even if they are sent out on loan.
This rule coupled with the fact that the majority of Swansea’s Under-23 squad were also handed first-team squad numbers at the start of the season means Ayew had to settle for a number associated with left-backs and defenders.
Earlier in the month, Martin Olsson chose the vacant No.16 shirt and Tom Carroll – finding his favoured 24 taken, opted for 42. Luciano Narsingh had already taken No.28 off the table.
So when Ayew arrived, his choices had been narrowed down considerably, with 3, 50 and 58 his only options within the current range, although he could have opted for any number between 64 and 99 had he so wished.
So does he have to wear the No.3 throughout his time at Swansea?
Only for the rest of this season. Come the summer the Ghanaian could opt to stick with the No.3 but the numbers are effectively wiped clean once the season finishes and will all be up for grabs again.
Ayew is not the first player to wear an unusual number in the English Premier League with Clint Dempsey taking the No.2 shirt at Tottenham Hotspur, to William Gallas’ choice of No.10 at Arsenal
Jordan Ayew joined Swansea City in exchange for Welsh International defender Neil Taylor, plus a fee from Swansea that can rise to £5 million on January 31, 2017.
Jordan’s brother André Ayew was a Swansea City player during the 2015–16 season.
