The odd choice to wear the No 47 shirt for his club is made by MANCHERSTER CITY wonderkid Phil Foden.

Although he wears No 11 for England, the England international sports 47 while representing the current Premier League champions.

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Since youth level, Phil Foden has been with number 47.Thanks: Getty

And Foden admitted that he turned down the chance to change shirt numbers for a quite touching reason.

Here is SunSport’s understanding on the significance of 47 for Phil Foden.

Why did Phil Foden don Man City a 47 shirt?
Usually starting high at youth level, football players start to see a drop in their kit number when they break into the first team.

Phil Foden has stayed with 47, though, since his 2017 senior debut as a substitute for midfield machine Yaya Toure.

Reason being is that 47 apparently pays ongoing honour to Foden’s late grandfather Ronnie, who died at age 47.

It further strengthens his familial link with Manchester City since Ronnie was reportedly a passionate City fan growing up.

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Foden pays permanent respect to his grandfather Ronnie by wearing number 47.

Phil even had 47 as his haircut for the big Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund.

Phil Foden said number 47.
Before being forced to retire, Foden, 22, said that Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s all-time best goal scorer, wanted him to have the number 10 shirt when he left for Barcelona.

The England superstar also acknowledged pondering it, but he decided to stay to number 47.

Phil said: “I did think about it.

“The ten shirt is such a big number in the club, but I just have a thing with 47.

“I’d like to create me own legacy and keep that number.”

And Aguero later on confirmed this ahead of Jack Grealish’s £100million move in the summer of 2021.

Aguero said: “I think the number 10 shirt should be given to Phil Foden,” said the former Argentina international in a Twitch stream.

“Some say Kevin [De Bruyne]. The thing is, I believe Kevin used his number [17] at other clubs, so I don’t think he would change it.