Arsenal confirm Bernd Leno’s shirt number

Traditional goalkeeper numbers are usually #1, #13, and then random numbers in the 20s and 30s. For example, Lukasz Fabianski wore #21, Manuel Almunia wore #24, Wojciech Szczesny had #53, #13 and then #1, and Petr Cech had #33 and #1. Bernd Leno, who today had his first training session with Arsenal following his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, will be going against tradition, and will wear #19—the number of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Remi Garde, and for many years, Gilberto Silva.

Why is he choosing #19? If you ask him, it’s a number of significance: he joined Arsenal on 19 June (hella corny dude), and made his first team debut at age 19. In terms of taking an unusual number while waiting for a better goalkeeper number to become available, it pales in comparison to Petr Cech, who of course chose #33 in part because there are 33 vertebrae in the back.