I’m American, so I’ve mainly followed American leagues throughout my time following sports at all. I’m used to seeing teams retire players’ numbers after they retire if they’re had a significant enough impact on that franchise. When I look at the Premier League, though (I’m not as familiar with the rituals of other European leagues), it’s totally different. For example, Harry Kane is known as the greatest player in the history of Tottenham, and he wore the No. 10 shirt. No disrespect to James Maddison whatsoever because he’s quality in his own right, but how come Tottenham didn’t make sure that no player ever wears No. 10 for Tottenham after Kane? Similarly, at Manchester United, the No. 7 shirt has been worn by greats like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the person wearing the shirt right now, Mason Mount, isn’t at that level and is in his first season at the club. Why wasn’t No. 7 taken out of rotation after Beckham or Ronaldo?

Is it a cultural thing where numbers get legacies attached to them rather than being retired? I know it’s common for strikers to wear the No. 9 shirt, for instance.