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Liverpool fans have taken to social media to express their delight at the news that Luis Diaz will wear the iconic No. 7 shirt for the Reds next season onwards.
The Merseyside-based club have announced that Diaz will swap the No. 23 shirt for the iconic number. This comes after James Milner, who wore the No. 7 jersey for the team since 2015, agreed to join Brighton & Hove Albion when his contract ends on June 30.
"The Colombia forward (Diaz) will switch from the No.23 shirt he has worn since arriving from FC Porto in January 2022 prior to the start of the new campaign," Liverpool wrote in an official statement. "The number (7) was recently vacated by James Milner, who is set to join Brighton & Hove Albion upon the expiry of his contract this summer."
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Liverpool added that fans who have already bought the club's 2023-24 home shirt with Diaz's name and the number '23' on it will be reimbursed by the Colombian. The Reds faithful, meanwhile, received the news with open arms, with one supporter tweeting:
"Diaz unleashing his inner (Cristiano) Ronaldo next season."
Here are more reactions to Diaz taking the iconic No. 7 shirt at Anfield:
Diaz, 26, joined Liverpool from Portuguese giants FC Porto for €45 million plus €15 million in add-ons in January 2022. The winger has since made 47 appearances across competitions for the club, bagging 11 goals and eight assists. He helped the Anfield outfit win the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the Community Shield in the 2021-22 season.
It's worth noting that the Colombia international struggled with injury in the 2022-23 season. He missed six months of action between October and April due to a serious knee injury and was sidelined for 31 games across competitions.
Diaz will be determined to return to his best in the No. 7 shirt for Liverpool next season. He sports the same number for the Colombian national team and also wore it during his two-and-a-half-year stint with Porto.
Liverpool also have a new No. 10
It's worth noting that Liverpool's No. 10 shirt has been vacant since Sadio Mane left the club for Bayern Munich last summer. However, the Reds have announced that new signing Alexis Mac Allister will sport the iconic shirt for the club from next season onwards. Philippe Coutinho, Luis Garcia, John Barnes and Michael Owen are among players to have worn the jersey for the club.
The Merseyside-based club confirmed the signing of Mac Allister, 24, from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month. The midfielder has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Anfield. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Jurgen Klopp's side paid €40 million to acquire his services.
Mac Allister moved to Merseyside following a fruitful three-and-a-half-year spell at Brighton. He made 112 appearances across competitions for the Seagulls, bagging 20 goals and nine assists. The midfielder also helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
