Players from Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Sunderland also make the cut.
Shirt numbers used to be simple.
A team’s main striker would wear nine, their left winger 11, right-back two… you remember.
Anyway, those days are long gone and now it seems that a player can chose whatever squad number he wants – Mario Balotelli’s 45 and Lazar Markovic’s 50 being fine examples.
We liked it the way it was and, to celebrate a dead tradition, we have created an all-star lineup from this season’s Premier League clubs, only featuring players with numbers one to 11.
1. Hugo Lloris – Tottenham Hotspur
The Frenchman beats off strong competition from Joe Hart, Wojciech Szczesny, Petr Cech and David de Gea. We reckon Thibaut Courtois is the best stopper in the Prem, but he wears unlucky 13.
2. Fabricio Coloccini – Newcastle United
There is a surprising lack of top class talent with two on their backs, but we have gone for Newcastle captain Coloccini. Strictly speaking, he should be a five or a six because he’s a centre-half, but we’ll take him anyway, as our right-back wears five!
3. Leighton Baines – Everton
A very easy decision here. Baines is the best left-back in the league and he wears the correct number – how refreshing!
4. Cesc Fabregas – Chelsea
The former Arsenal skipper edges out Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany for our number four spot.
5. Pablo Zabaleta – Manchester City
One of the most underrated players in the world, Zabaleta has all the technical attributes needed to excel at right-back. Fitness-wise, he is in great shape too.
6. Laurent Koscielny – Arsenal
A solid and composed presence at the back and a surprisingly good finisher, who can be deadly when attacking set pieces.
7. Tomas Rosicky – Arsenal
Last season, Luis Suarez would have walked into this team as its number seven, but his £75m departure to Barcelona has left England’s top flight with a big hole to fill. Despite his inability to get in Arsenal’s first XI on a consistent basis, Rosicky is the best of what’s left.
8. Steven Gerrard – Liverpool
Captain Fantastic will be best remembered for his high-profile slip last season, but the Reds legend enjoyed a fine campaign overall, netting 13 goals and providing 13 assists.
9. Steven Fletcher – Sunderland
It is heartbreaking how few of the Premier League’s top strikers are wearing nine this season. Sunderland’s Fletcher pips fellow injury-plagued frontman Andy Carroll into our team. The Scot can be deadly when fit.
10. Wayne Rooney- Manchester United
This was incredibly tight, but United’s new captain just gets the nod ahead of Chelsea winger Eden Hazard.
11. Mesut Ozil
Ozil could return to Arsenal action this weekend after enjoying an extended holiday following Germany’s World Cup triumph in July. The former Real Madrid man could be Arsenal’s best player this term, despite stiff competition from Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.
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