Manchester United FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
Man Utd fans have discovered a surprising rule when purchasing a new shirt (Photo: Getty)
Manchester United fans were stunned to learn that they cannot get the names of three former players printed on the club’s new kit.
Excitement for the new Premier League season is growing with less than two weeks to go before the opening game between champions Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Clubs are finishing off their pre-season preparations, with United taking on Everton and Fiorentina before kicking-off the new campaign against Arsenal on August 17.
Supporters are also gearing up the season by getting their hands on the new Red Devils home and away shirts, but those who recently ventured to the Old Trafford megastore were in for a surprise.
As shared on social media by a fan, a sign displaying United’s shirt printing policy states: ‘Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to print Cantona, Beckham, and Ronaldo,’ on the back of shirts.
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you.
Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are of course three of the greatest players in United’s history and three icons of football.
[LEIPZIG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 26: Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig looks o during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Sport-Club Freiburg at Red Bull Arena on October 26, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
LEIPZIG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 26: Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig looks o during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Sport-Club Freiburg at Red Bull Arena on October 26, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)](https://metro.co.uk/2025/08/01/benjamin-sesko-u-turns-manchester-united-transfer-newcastle-talks-23813596/)
All wore the iconic No.7 shirt and won a total of 21 major trophies during their time in Manchester.
Manchester United FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
Eric Cantona man Utd shirts may become a little less frequent (Photo: Getty)
Yet, United have confirmed that as the trio own their image rights, their names cannot be printed on replica kits at the club’s own shop.
Additionally, it is said this policy is not new and has actually been in place for a number of years.
Southampton FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt is one of the most popular in world football (Photo: Getty)
Manchester City v FC Basel - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
David Beckham was among those to wear the famous Man Utd No.7 shirt (Photo: Getty)
United are not the only club who have this issue, as it was reported last year that Real Madrid had banned fans from getting names of several Los Blancos legends on new kits, including Beckham and Ronaldo.
Manchester United v Leeds United - Pre-Season Friendly
(Photo: Getty)
For more stories like this, check our sport page.