Liam Delap is the latest Chelsea signing to take on the No. 9 shirt for the Blues and one former player has opened up on his strange stint with the iconic jersey while at Stamford Bridge
Steve Sidwell playing for Chelsea
Steve Sidwell opened up on the reason why he was given the No. 9 shirt at Chelsea
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
Chelsea's new recruit Liam Delap has chosen to wear the No. 9 shirt for the Blues, however, the shirt carries a burden. The £30 million striker is the first Chelsea player to take on the iconic jersey since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club two years ago.
The shirt has been worn by international superstars such as Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, Alvara Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres, albeit with varying degrees of success at the club. Bizarrely, it was also once worn by Steve Sidwell, much to his friends' and family's amusement.
Sidwell, a midfielder, made the move to Stamford Bridge from Reading in 2007. In an unexpected twist, he was given the prestigious number, which is typically reserved for strikers.
While Sidwell's free transfer was seen as a smart move at the time, his being given the number nine shirt puzzled fans and pundits alike. The mystery was finally solved when Sidwell, 42, explained how he ended up with the shirt on That Peter Crouch Podcast in October 2023, reports Football London.
"When you sign for a club, you always see who's leaving, what shirt numbers are available so you pick it before you kind of get there," Sidwell began. "So when I signed, Geremi left to go to Newcastle and [Khalid] Boulahrouz, who was the defender who wore number nine as well, he left."
“So we (Chelsea) signed me and Claudio Pizarro – striker, midfielder – so I thought I’ll have the 14, I’ve worn that before, and he’ll have the number nine. First day of pre-season we fly to LA (Los Angeles) we get on the coach going to the airport, as we get on Jose [Mourinho] was at the front, he pulls me and says, ‘You’ve got the number nine shirt this season.’
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho shakes hands with new signing Steve Sidwell
Sidwell once opened up on being given the No. 9 jersey at Chelsea
“So now I’m thinking, mind games, straight away this is mind games. So I was like, ‘Alright, okay, no worries,’ like he’s just testing me, see if I want it. Sat down and the kitman sat next to me and I was like, ‘I haven’t got the number nine though, have I?’ And he went, ‘I’ll tell you later on.’
“We landed and he done the shirt and it was already printed up, so big Tel (kitman) said it was already printed up, it was already done and I’m standing there (with the No.9 shirt). My mates at home going, ‘What shirt you got?’ ‘I’ve only got the f*****g nine shirt.’ And they were cracking up. How can I say I don’t want it?”
In a 2020 interview with The Athletic, Sidwell speculated that his unexpected shirt number might have been Mourinho's subtle signal to former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich during a time when funds for new signings were low.
"Obviously the number has a lot of history relating to top centre-forwards and that wasn't me. I went on to score one goal for Chelsea," Sidwell said.
Liam Delap holds up a Chelsea shirt
Liam Delap has signed for Chelsea on a six-year contract
"Reflecting on why he might have made that decision, I believe he was sending a message to the board. That summer he had wanted more funds for transfers – but he's brought in me, Tal Ben Haim and Claudio Pizarro on free transfers.
"The only significant purchase was Florent Malouda. Why didn't he give Pizarro – a striker – the No. 9? I suspect he was making a point by giving it to a free transfer from Reading."
Sidwell became another victim of the number as left Chelsea in 2008 after just one season and 25 appearances to sign for Aston Villa. While there have been several successes with the shirt, including Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, even Thomas Tuchel, former Chelsea boss and current England manager, once suggested that the shirt is "cursed."
Delap, who scored 12 goals in 40 matches for Ipswich last season, will now have to grapple with the hype and pressure of a jersey that has simply proved too much for some of modern football's biggest names.
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