The major purpose of a jersey number is to differentiate the players on the pitch. However, football fans often associate their favourite players with the jersey number. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo is famously nicknamed CR7 by the footballing fraternity.
Although there are exceptions, the number 8 jersey is mostly worn by midfielders who have a keen eye for goal and can also create chances for the team. While legends are often associated with jersey numbers 7 or 10, there have been midfield maestros who have donned the number 8 jersey.
Let us take a look at eight famous players who sported the jersey number 8.
#1 Juninho Pernambucano (Lyon)
After spending the initial stages of his career in Brazil, Juninho joined the French club Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) in 2001. Known for his exceptional free kick taking abilities, his vision and passing prowess made him an excellent playmaker as he racked up several assists and went on to score 100 goals for Lyon.
Lyon had never won the French Ligue 1 Championship until the arrival of Juninho. He then went on to lead Lyon to seven consecutive league titles.
During his stint at France, he was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year thrice and also awarded the Ligue 1 Player of the Year during the 2005-06 season.
#2 Gennaro Gattuso (Italy and AC Milan)
For the national team, Gattuso’s presence in midfield gave midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo the freedom to play an attacking role. He represented Italy in a total of five major tournaments and played a key role in Italy’s triumph in the 2006 World Cup.
At AC Milan, he again partnered Andrea Pirlo and this partnership was pivotal in Milan’s domestic as well as European successes. He won the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in 2003 and the Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana the following year.
Few years later, he won the Champions League in 2007 after losing against Liverpool in a historic final at Istanbul in 2006. Despite lacking the technical skills, Gattuso’s strength, aggression and work-rate helped him gain recognition as one of the world’s best defensive midfielders.
#3 Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria & Barcelona)
Hristo Stoichkov is considered to be one of the top forwards to have played in his generation. He joined Barcelona in 1990 and was a part of Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” that won four consecutive league titles and one Champions League title.
He led Bulgaria to a fourth place finish at the 1994 World Cup, scoring six goals and hence awarded the World Cup Golden Shoe. He also received the World Cup Bronze Ball, an honour for the third best player at the World Cup.
He won the 1994 Ballon d’Or for his heroics for both club and country. His individual honours also include five Bulgarian Footballer of the Year awards and runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice.
#4 Frank Lampard (England and Chelsea)
Frank Lampard joined Chelsea in 2001 and represented the club for 13 straight years. He went on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, highest scoring midfielder and second highest assist provider in Premier League history.
From his debut, he went on to make 164 consecutive Premier League appearances, a record for an outfield player. He was an important part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and a domestic club double the following year.
He further won a Premier League title and three FA Cups. Lampard led Chelsea to their first Champions League success in 2012 and the first Europa League title a year later. He was awarded the Premier League Player of the Season twice, UEFA Midfielder of the Year once (2008) and was named in the PFA Team of the Year five times.
#5 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Born in Merseyside, Gerrard made his first senior appearance for Liverpool in 1998 and served as a loyal servant for 17 seasons. His performances earned him an iconic stature at the club and was named as the captain in 2003.
He captained Liverpool to a Champions League title in 2005. In what was a historic final at Liverpool, Gerrard scored a goal and won a penalty as Liverpool overturned a 0-3 deficit to win the match and hence the title on penalties.
He also won two FA Cups, three Football League Cups and one FA Community Shield. Gerrard holds a unique record as the only player to score in the finals of a FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League.
#6 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Iniesta makes the list ahead of compatriot Xavi as he has made appearances in the number 8 jersey more frequently. Having started his career at Barcelona, he has come a long way and is now the captain of the giant club.
Iniesta has been a mainstay in the playing XI since the 2004-05 season. He has won numerous titles that include eight La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey titles and four Champions League titles. He played a key role in the historic run of Barcelona when they went on to win six titles in 2009.
Known for his excellent vision, passing and playmaking prowess, Iniesta’s individual honours include one La Liga Player of the Year award and five La Liga Best Attacking Midfielder award. He was also awarded the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker award twice. He finished 2nd in the Ballon d’Or race in 2010, 3rd in 2012 and 4th in 2014.
#7 Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal)
Ljungberg scored on his Arsenal debut in 1998 when he came on as a substitute against Manchester United. He was known for his versatility, capable of playing on either wings or in a central role.
He played a key role in all of Arsenal’s successes between 2000 and 2006 that included two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and Community Shields each. Arsenal also finished as runners-up in the 2006 Champions League.
He won the Premier League Player of the Season once, Swedish Player of the Year twice and Swedish Midfielder of the Year six times. He was placed 11th in arsenal.com’s Gunners’ Greatest 50 Players.
#8 Marcel Desailly (France and AC Milan)
Originally from Ghana, Marcel Desailly decided to represent France and made his international debut in 1993. He had a slow start to his international career failing to cement his place in the playing XI till 1996.
He went on to partner Zinedine Zidane in midfield and played an important role in the title success of the French national team at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Following the retirement of Didier Deschamps, he was appointed as the captain of the national side.
He also sported the number 8 jersey during his stint in Italy. With AC Milan, he won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles and one Champions League title. Later, he was also inducted into the AC Milan Hall of Fame.
Honourable mentions: Joao Vieira Pinto (Benfica), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Juventus), Frank Rijkaard (AC Milan), Kaka (Real Madrid), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)
