The best Premier League players wearing number 10 right now

To the uninitiated, shirt numbers may not really be a big deal. In fact, several sports don't give much significance to them, but in football, a shirt number can signify several things, in particular, the position that a player plays in.

Goalkeepers are traditionally number 1, right backs are number 2, strikers are number 9, and so on. In the case of academy youngsters, the shirt numbers they wear could denote their importance to the first team. For example, Marcus Rashford wore 39 in his first season at Manchester United but upgraded to 19 the following season.

Number 10 is a very prestigious shirt to wear. It is traditionally worn by attacking midfielders, wingers or strikers, but it has mostly come to be associated with the most important player at the club. These are the players who are the most creative, score the most number of goals, or have the maximum impact in every match.

Here we take a look at the 5 best Premier League players who currently wear number 10 for their respective clubs.

---

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic upgraded from number 9 to number 10 last month

The Swedish talisman joined Manchester United in the summer of 2016 as a free agent after he let his contract run out at Paris-Saint Germain. He wore the number 9 in his first season at the club.

United released him at the end of last season following what appeared to be a career-ending ACL tear, but he defied all odds as he started recovering in record time, prompting Mourinho to hand him a one-year extension.

He might even be back as early as December. He took up the number 10 shirt following Wayne Rooney's return to Everton.

A proper footballing nomad in every sense of the word, he has played for 8 clubs (so far). Standing at 6'5", he is one of the tallest players in the league, which also makes him lethal in the air.

What he lacks in pace due to his size, he makes up for with his dribbling, passing, finishing, and an uncanny ability to hold the ball and bring teammates into play.

Many critics and fans wrote him off when he arrived in England, since he was already 35-years old, nearing the end of his career. He ended up proving them all wrong by becoming the oldest player ever to score more than 15 goals in a Premier League season.

His goals might not have helped United achieve their domestic aspirations, but he did score against Leicester in the Community Shield and a brace in the EFL Cup final against Southampton.

It will be interesting to see how he fits in this season, following Lukaku's move from Everton, but it will be useful to have two world-class forwards, given that United might be competing on four fronts when he returns in December or January. If he is able to regain his full fitness, we might yet see more influential contributions from him in the second half of the season.

4. Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho in action for Liverpool in the Europa League

The Brazilian was incessantly linked with Barcelona throughout the summer, as they desperately tried to sign him as a replacement for his compatriot Neymar.

He eventually ended up staying at Liverpool, possibly against his will, thanks to their exorbitantly high valuation of him at around £138 million. Barcelona then ended up signing Ousmane Dembele from Dortmund.

Liverpool signed him from Inter in the winter transfer window of 2013 for 8.5 million pounds, which in hindsight is an absolute joke. Brendan Rodgers immediately handed him the number 10 shirt as a sign of his faith in the youngster.

And he has repaid his transfer fee several times over. He is easily one of the best dribblers in the league, and also has an excellent eye for goal, having scored several screamers cutting in from the left.

He might be known for his extravagant goals, but he also has an extraordinary vision and passing range. He also became the Premier League's top scoring Brazilian when he scored his 30th goal in a win against Stoke.

His start to the season was affected by various factors: his failed move to Barcelona, a back injury, and the excellent form of Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah.

Mane's suspension eventually led to his recall against Burnley in a disappointing 1-1 draw. He did, however, open his account against Leicester with a goal and an assist.

In spite of his troubled start to the season, he could very well go on to play another starring role for Liverpool. Rumours say that his Brazilian teammate Neymar convinced him not to join Barca in the summer, having left the Catalans for PSG himself.

If that is the case, and Liverpool have his full commitment, the Premier League will once again see the Brazilian flair of Coutinho this season.

3. Eden Hazard

Hazard celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Manchester United in the Premier League

Chelsea signed an absolute gem in 2012 when they paid French club - Lille £32 million for their Belgian wonderkid. He had already been turning heads all over Europe, being one of the most consistent performers for Lille, with his incredible pace, dribbling, and finishing.

On 15th April 2012, he made his 100th consecutive appearance in Ligue One, which is, to date, the longest run in the French league, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that he was only 21 when he achieved it.

He hit the ground running at Chelsea, providing three assists and one goal in his first three league matches. He has since gone on to score 57 times in 175 appearances for the London club, which is a remarkable feat given the position that he plays in.

Considered to be one of the best wingers in the division, his playing style has often evoked comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, even though he doesn't possess the physicality of the Portuguese superstar.

He's also been liked with Real Madrid numerous times, but chose to stay at Chelsea, stating at the start of the 2014 season that he was honoured to have inherited the number 10 shirt following Juan Mata's departure.

He paid back the faith that Chelsea have shown in him with some amazing performances. He was a crucial member of the squad that won the league in 2015 and 2017.

In 2015, he was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year for the second season running, only the fifth player to have achieved that particular milestone. He has also made the PFA Team of the Year four times.

He endured a torrid 2015-16 season, when Chelsea finished 10th following a disastrous start to the campaign which left them 14th at the end of December, and eventually led to Jose Mourinho's sacking in his second stint at the club.

He remained goalless in the league till 23rd April, but did score the goal in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham that led to the title being decided in Leicester's favour.

The next season, however, he rediscovered his form in a new formation under Antonio Conte, playing as part of a front three comprising himself, and Spaniards Diego Costa and Pedro.

He is still only 26-years old, and will remain an integral part of Chelsea's attack for at least the next seven to eight years.

Expect several more exuberant performances from the diminutive Belgian playmaker for both club and country in the years to come.

2. Harry Kane

Kans celebrates after scoring for Tottenham Hotspur against fierce rivals Arsenal

Harry Kane is, without a doubt, the best English player of his generation. The striker graduated from the Spurs academy but was sent out on loan to Leyton Orient, Milwall, Norwich and Leicester before finally making his breakthrough for Spurs towards the end of the 2013-14 season.

Kane might not be the most eye-catching player on this list, but his record speaks for himself. He is one of those few remaining traditional centre forwards who don't possess unnatural pace or dribbling abilities, but rather depend on their off-the-ball movement and a poacher's instinct in front of goal.

In the 2014/15 season, he scored 30 plus goals, making him the first Tottenham player to achieve that feat since Gary Linekar in 1991/92. He scored 21 league goals, equaling a Premier League club record. Even so, his style of play meant that several fans and critics alike considered him to be a one season wonder.

He proved all his doubters wrong in the next two years, winning the PL Golden Boot twice in a row, becoming only the fifth player to do so. Tottenham came agonisingly close to the title both times, finishing 3rd and 2nd.

He started off this season poorly, unable to shake off his "August blues", but turned his fortunes around at the start of September with a brace against Malta. In spite of not having scored in the first month of the season, he already has four goals in six league games.

Still only 24 years old, Kane is the central figure around which Mauricio Pochettino is building his Spurs squad. If they are to challenge for title, they will need their home-grown lad to be at his very best this season, and don't be surprised if he wins a hat-trick of Golden Boots next year.

1.Sergio Aguero

Sergio Aguero has been extremely influential at Manchester City

The Argentine striker tops this list simply because of what he has achieved at Manchester City so far. He's scored an incredible 128 goals in 182 league matches for them.

He is now just one goal away from equaling Eric Brook's club record of 177 goals. He is also the Premier League's highest non-European goalscorer.

City signed Aguero from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for a fee of 38 million pounds. And boy, has he been worth it. In his six years at the club, he has led them to two Premier League titles, and has scored 20 plus league goals on four occasions.

His pace, strength, dribbling and lethal finishing make him a nightmare for every defender. His tactical intelligence means he is also capable of providing assists by playing as a shadow striker just behind the traditional number 9.

Following Edin Dzeko's departure, he took up City's number 10 shirt in the 2015/16 season. He finished behind Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race that year, but made only 30 appearances, recording the best goals-to-minutes ratio in the league.

In 2016/17, he experienced a setback when new signing Gabriel Jesus gave him fierce competition, but the Brazilian's injury meant that Aguero was restored to the starting XI, and he finished the season with 20 goals.

This year, Pep Guardiola's 3-5-2 formation allows the South American duo to play together, and so far its proven to be an excellent gamble by the Spanish boss.

Aguero with six goals and Jesus with four form the best attacking duo in the league right now. Their understanding of each other might well give City an edge over their rivals in the title race.

As far as Argentina is concerned, Aguero is unfortunate to have been born in the same era as Lionel Messi. He still has 33 goals in 82 appearances for his country, which makes him currently the second highest active goalscorer.

At 29 years old, he still has a solid 5 years left in him. He has already established himself as a Premier League and Man. City legend. All that's missing from his trophy cabinet right now is a Champions League title, and the way that City are shaping up under Guardiola, you wouldn't bet against them.