Bayern Munich’s new defender Nathaniel Brown will wear the No. 11 shirt for the club.
The versatile left-back will be wearing the number in a rather unorthodox manner, as the No. 11 is normally associated with forward players. While defensive players definitely have worn similar numbers before, it is still considered a departure from tradition.
However, Bayern is no stranger to odd number choices, with backup striker Sandro Wagner choosing the No. 2 and central midfielder Xabi Alonso wearing the No. 3
in his debut season. The latter did switch to his preferred No. 14 in the season after, though.
According to board member for sport Max Eberl, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, the number was originally offered to winger Michael Olise, who wears the number for France. However, Olise reportedly wanted to keep his No. 17 shirt for Bayern. Whether the number was also offered to fellow winger Luis Díaz is unknown.
Bayern’s No. 11 has had a variety of owners over the past decade, including Douglas Costa, James Rodríguez, and Kingsley Coman. The number was most recently worn by Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson. Perhaps the most notable player who wore it was Stefan Effenberg, who captained Bayern to a Bundesliga and Champions League double while wearing said number.
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