The number 16 is one of those figures you don’t readily associate with any football player in particular. Over the years, however, a few notable soccer icons have adorned this jersey number. There are so many to mention, but today the focus will be on a few who stood out wearing this shirt.
Roy Keane – Manchester United
The former Irish professional footballer was definitely no sweet 16 when wearing this number during his days with Manchester United. The Red Devils legend was known for his no-nonsense tough tackling and on-field leadership. Blessed with a great engine and unrelenting desire to win, Keane was definitely one of the reasons why Man United were so successful during the late 90s and early to mid-2000s. During his time at the theater of dreams, Roy won a bucket load of trophies. The 50-year-old won 7 English Premier League titles, 4 English FA Cups, and a UEFA Champions League trophy in 1999. The former Republic of Ireland international helped his country qualify for the 1994 (USA) and 2002 (Japan/Korea) World Cup. He is regarded amongst his peers as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation.
Daniele de Rossi – AS Roma
The AS Roma legend and former captain wore the number 16 jersey during his time with the Italian club side and national team. Rossi was known for his tenacity and technical ability in the middle of the park. The 38-year-old could play a variety of midfield positions, but operated mostly as a defensive midfielder. Daniele won a few titles playing for his beloved Roma. He won two Coppa Italia titles in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, respectively. His time with the national team the Azzurri’s was definitely more fruitful. Rossi was part of the squad that won the 2006 World Cup and was also part of the Italian Euro 2012 side that finished second. Most recently, Daniele was part of the coaching staff of the Italian national team that won the 2020 Euros.
Jakub Błaszczykowski – Borussia Dortmund & Poland
The Polish international is his country’s most second-capped player. He normally wears number 16 when on national team duty. Jakub has played for numerous clubs but is most remembered for his time at German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund where he won 2 league titles and a DFB-Pokal trophy.
Sergio Busquets – FC Barcelona
The talented defensive midfielder wore the number 16 Jersey for Barcelona when he joined the first team. But now he dons the number 5 jersey which he inherited from Carles Puyol. He is also blessed with great technical skills and a wide range of passes. Busquets was part of the Spanish squad at the 2020 Euros and is currently the captain of FC Barcelona.
Edouard Mendy – Chelsea
The Senegalese shot-stopper has had an incredible year since joining English side Chelsea FC. The 29-year-old has been a reassuring presence in goal for the Blues keeping multiple clean sheets in the league and UEFA Champions League, where he equaled the highest number of clean sheets in the history of the competition with 9 shutouts. This helped his club claim a second champions league title. He wears the number 16 jersey when in goal for Chelsea.
Mathieu Flamini – Arsenal
Aaron Ramsey – Arsenal
Roberto Di Matteo – Chelsea
Arjen Robben – Chelsea
Juan Cuadrado – Juventus
The Colombian forward currently wears the number 16 jersey at Juventus.
Sergio Aguero – Manchester City
Sergio Aguero wore the jersey number 16 for City before changing it to the number 10 jersey.
