The strangest kit numbers in football history

Long gone are the days of a team lining up with numbers 1 to 11 on their backs. In the modern game, there is very little restricting players from wearing whatever number they want, but what are some of the most bizarre there have been?

Samuel Eto'o - Number 5

A classic number 9, Samuel Eto'o had an illustrious career. He won the Champions league on three occasions and was part of domestic title-winning sides on four occasions. However, it was during his time at Everton that he caught the attention of fans for another reason.

After signing for Everton in 2014, fans were shocked to see that he had taken the number 5 shirt. He gave little explanation for his decision, simply saying that as he got older his number changed. His spell on Merseyside only lasted a year before heading to Italy at the age of 34.

Radamel Falcao - Number 3

Another world class striker in his prime, Radamel Falcao, was a man feared on a football pitch. He made a sensational impact at Porto and Atletico Madrid and eventually found form in Monaco. The 35-year-old Colombian signed for Rayo Vallecano this summer, after spending two years at Galatasaray.

However, he hasn't got off to the best of starts with his new fans who were unhappy about his number. He is Vallecano's number 3. He then went on to explain that his father wore the same jersey. His heart-warming reason surely won him some fans at his new club.

Ronaldinho - Number 80

The iconic Brazilian needs no introduction, normally wearing the number 10. His flare and smile enchanted millions of football fans around the world during his time at Barcelona. However, it was once he signed for AC Milan that he chose to play with the number 80 shirt. It was a reference to the year of his birth, 1980.

The number 10, which he wore at Barca, was taken by team-mate Clarence Seedorf, another somewhat unusual number, considering he was a deep-lying midfielder. He's not the only man to have the number of his birth year. Stephane El Sharaway has worn the number 92 for the same reason.

William Gallas - 10

The French centre-half was no stranger to controversy, having played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Another decision of his which caught some people off guard was to wear the number 10 shirt at Arsenal. It was recently vacated after the retirement of Dennis Bergkamp.

Gallas' time at Arsenal lasted 4 years but he did not deliver the success he would have hoped for, as they failed to win the Premier League or the Champions League.

Ivan Zamorano - 1+8

We have saved the best of the last. Ivan Zamarano wore the most bizarre kit number football has ever seen. He wore 1+8 for Inter Milan, who he signed for from Real Madrid in 1996. He was forced into wearing the strange number after a domino effect meant he could no longer wear his number 9 shirt.

Baggio had returned to the club, demanding he be given the number 10 shirt. Ronaldo obliged but demanded that he be given the number 9 shirt then. This meant that Zamorano lost his shirt, but after refusing to wear any other number he elected for 1+8.