There was never really any competition but Fabien Barthez thought he had a chance to get the No. 16 jersey at Manchester United!

The club's biggest summer signing has always worn the number in league football but captain Roy Keane owns the No. 16 shirt and even a World Cup/European Championship winner was not going to take it away.

Alex Ferguson has handed Barthez the next best thing. He will wear No. 1, to the heartbreak of Mark Bosnich. But goalkeepers are so superstitious that the loss of his favourite number could have an adverse effect on his game.

Denis Irwin holds onto his No. 3 Shirt for the new season and John O'Shea comes in at No. 30. Jordi Cruyff's No. 14 jersey has been left vacant which could mean another signing at the club.

Squad Numbers: 1 Barthez 2 G Neville 3 Irwin 4 May 5 Johnsen 6 Stam 7 Beckham 8 Butt 9 Cole 10 Sheringham 11 Giggs 12 P Neville 13 Bosnich 15 Blomqvist 16 Keane 17 Van der Gouw 18 Scholes 19 Yorke 20 Solskjaer 21 Berg 22 Wallwork 23 Clegg 24 Brown 25 Fortune 26 Wilson 27 Silvestre 28 Stewart 29 Notman 30 O'Shea 31 Fletcher 32 Djordjic 33 Rachubka 34 Greening 35 Healy