Manchester United and Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee has explained the significance of wanting Luke Shaw’s currently occupied No 23 shirt number.
Joshua Zirkzee is in his second season at Manchester United and the 24-year-old Dutch forward has been wearing the No 11 shirt number since his arrival.
Do you think Joshua Zirkzee has a future at Man Utd?
Quinton Fortune says his cameo against Leeds was his best showing yet
Zirkzee graphic
Getty Images
The Man Utd striker left Serie A outfit Bologna in 2024 and the Red Devils agreed a deal worth £36.54m to bring Zirkzee to the Premier League club in the first place.
Luke Shaw has been wearing the No 23 shirt for multiple seasons now, having taken the number from former Man Utd and England midfielder Tom Cleverley.
READ MORE: Tuchel vs Carrick: I think Gary Neville’s obsession with elite managers ignores Man Utd transformation we’ve seen
Joshua Zirkzee during the Emirates FA Cup third-round match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Joshua Zirkzee has now made his admission about Luke Shaw’s Man Utd shirt number
Tom Cleverley last wore the No 23 shirt number in the 2014-15 Premier League season before the former Manchester United youth academy product left in 2015.
Shaw took the No 23 number for the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, with the United left-back shifting away from the No 3 shirt number that he previously wore.
More United News
With Ruben Amorim SACKED, where will Manchester United finish in 2025/26?
Let's see your predictions!
Patrick Dorgu celebrates with his teammates during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
The 30-year-old England international had the No 23 shirt number at Southampton as well before the Red Devils signed Shaw in 2014 for an initial £27m transfer fee.
Speaking on Manchester United’s official podcast, Joshua Zirkzee made it clear that club teammate Shaw had the number he desired the most at Old Trafford.
“Yeah, but Luke has it. I like 23,” he said on Inside Carrington.
READ MORE: Why Edwin van der Sar snubbed Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and Patrice Evra from his all-time teammates XI
Joshua Zirkzee asked about the importance of the No 23 shirt number to him amid the Man Utd striker’s Luke Shaw remarks
NBA legend Michael Jordan famously wore the No 23 shirt during his prolific time with the Chicago Bulls and Netherlands striker Zirkzee is a big basketball fan.
Zirkzee was asked if his desire to have the No 23 shirt number at Old Trafford had anything to do with his admiration for former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.
Describe that finish from Joshua Zirkzee in one word…⚽️🔥
“I think, I’m pretty sure there is,” he said.
“I just wore it when I was in Anderlecht and that kind of stuck with me. But ever since, there’s never been a team that had number 23 for me.”
Zirkzee has made 18 appearances across all competitions for Man Utd this season and the Netherlands international has netted twice and registered one assist.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox