Joao Cancelo has been confirmed as Manchester City’s new No. 7 defender following Raheem Sterling’s move to Chelsea.
The West Londoners announced last week that they had acquired Sterling in a move estimated to be for £47.5 million, ending the forward’s wildly successful seven-year stay at the Etihad Stadium.
The 27-year-old departs the Citizens after making 337 appearances for the team in all competitions, scoring 131 goals and dishing out 94 assists while also collecting 11 trophies, including four Premier League championships.
When Sterling first joined Liverpool in the summer of 2015, the number seven shirt was immediately given to him.
Cancelo has now decided to switch his team number for the upcoming season from No. 27 to No. 7, according to an announcement from City.
On the team’s preseason tour of the USA, Cancelo was spotted wearing training clothing with the number 7 embroidered on it.
The adaptable and offensive-minded full-back will wear the No. 7 for the Citizens, joining players like Robbie Fowler, Stephen Ireland, Mike Summerbee, Peter Barnes, Georgi Kinkladze, and Peter Barnes.
Cancelo has worn the number seven jersey at Valencia and Inter Milan in addition to the number 70 while playing for Benfica.
Cancelo struggled at first to establish himself as a regular starter under Pep Guardiola after arriving at City from Juventus in the summer of 2019, but the 28-year-old has since developed into an important part of the Spaniard’s well-oiled machine, playing both left-back and right-back.
Cancelo was chosen to the PFA Premier League Team of the Season for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons in recognition of his accomplishments during the previous two years.
In preparation for the upcoming campaign, Man City’s four new additions have also been assigned squad numbers, with striker Erling Braut Haaland receiving the No. 9 after Gabriel Jesus left for Arsenal.
Midfielder Kalvin Phillips of England will wear the number four jersey that was formerly worn by club legend and former captain Vincent Kompany.
Stefan Ortega, a goalkeeper, has been given the number 18 jersey, and Julian Alvarez, a January addition, will wear the number 19.
Joao Cancelo
Joo Pedro Cavaco Cancelo, a full-back for Manchester City of the Premier League and the Portugal national team, was born in Portugal on May 27, 1994.
He is regarded as one of the top full-backs in the world and is creative, skilled, strong, and adaptable.
What Position does Cancelo play?
Cancelo, who is hailed by the media as a promising player, is most known for his speed, vigor, and offensive prowess as well as his technique, dribbling prowess, creativity, and crossing ability. Though he generally plays on the right, he is capable of playing as a full-back or winger on either flank.
He was regarded as one of Europe’s top full-backs while at Juventus.
Despite his ability to get forward, the media has pointed to his tactical awareness, positioning, and defensive prowess as shortcomings.
He executes his forward runs well when he is a typical full-back. He loves to receive to foot rather than pursue through balls, and he often moves forward when in possession rather than making excruciating overlapping runs around the outside of a teammate.
He can cut infield from the right as well as around the outside when he has the ball, and he frequently looks to cross with his weaker left foot or drive inside the opposition left-back and seek to combine with those further forward.
Where is Joao Cancelo from?
Cancelo is originally from Portugal’s Barreiro, Portugal’s Setbal District. The 36.39 km2 area had 78,764 residents as of 2011.
Avenida da Praia and the Alburrica riverbank region provide Barreiro with views of the city of Lisbon. Since 2017, Frederico Rosa, a Socialist Party candidate, has served as mayor.
Honors
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14
Juventus
- Serie A: 2018–19
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2018
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22
- EFL Cup: 2020–21
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2020–21
Portugal U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2015
Portugal
- UEFA Nations League: 2018–19
Individual
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
- PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2020–21, 2021–22
- ESM Team of the Year: 2020–21, 2021–22
- UEFA Champions League Fantasy Football Team of the Season: 2021–22
