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There is no jersey number in football like the distinguished No. 10 jersey. The No.10 jersey carries with it a certain cachet, an essence of prestige and is the ultimate sign of respect. Wearing the No.10 shirt for the club or country is an overwhelming experience for any player.
The No.10 assumed such an iconic status after the greatest of all time Pele and Maradona had donned these numbers years ago and won the World Cup for their countries.
Even today, some of the world's greatest proudly wear the No. 10 jersey. As it is said, "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility", a club's No.10 is expected to be their best player on the pitch.
The football leagues all across Europe are well underway and the international break that's scheduled this weekend gives us an opportunity to take a sneak peek at the stats of the best performing No.10s in the European top flight so far.
#10 Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane, the Liverpool No.10 had an explosive start to the season, scoring 4 goals in the initial 4 matches in the Premier League.
Although he has blanked in the league since 1 September, he remains the top scorer for the Reds this season so far.
But his pace and an eye for the goal make him one of the most dangerous No.10s out there and he shouldn't be underestimated.
#9 Ondrej Duda
The 23-year-old Slovakian striker finds himself on the top scoring charts after managing to score 5 goals in 7 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha Berlin.
After two disappointing seasons, Duda is putting up performances worthy of the No.10 jersey this season.
He has been pivotal to die alte Dame's success this season so far, in which his goals saw them defeat last years winners Bayern Munich and runner-ups Schalke in their league matchups.
#8 Gylfi Sigurdsson
After a slow start to the season, Sigurdsson has stepped up his game, scoring 4 goals in the last 4 fixtures. Including two incredible efforts from outside of the box.
In absence of the summer signing Richarlison, the 29-year old attacking midfielder got the wheels turning in the Everton midfield and showed why he is one of the best No.10s in England right now.
#7 James Maddison
James Maddison, who joined Leicester this summer, has already become the player that the Foxes faithfuls look up to.
The 21-year-old has scored 3 goals and assisted 2 more so far, making him involved in more goals than any other Foxes' player.
He proved that he deserves the No.10 jersey more than any other Leicester player, by scoring this beautiful free kick from 25 yards out.
#6 Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet, who shot to fame with his sublime skills and dead-ball abilities as a West Ham player is now the key playmaker for Marseille.
He leads the assists chart in Ligue 1 with 5 so far and has also managed to get on the scoresheet himself 4 times this season.
Goals for any No.10 don't get any better than his superb volley against Guingamp.
#5 Harry Kane
The most prolific of all Premier League strikers, Harry Kane has continued his purple patch from the World Cup into the PL, scoring 5 goals for Tottenham so far.
Although he fits more into the traditional No.9 role better, he carries the responsibility of wearing the No.10 shirt for Tottenham comfortably and always delivers when the club is in need.
#4 Sergio Aguero
It goes without saying that Aguero is one of the best strikers in European football. And no one deserves the prestigious No. 10 jersey of Manchester City more than the Argentinian.
An ever present threat in front of the goal, Aguero has already scored 5 goals this season and set up 2 more for his teammates.
The record-breaking Argentinian can become highest scoring overseas player in the league if he keeps scoring at this rate.
#3 Neymar
Neymar is the biggest Brazilian superstar in the world right now. As expected he has been absolutely destroying defenses in Ligue 1 this season.
He is the joint top-scorer in the league, with 8 goals in as many games and has 3 assists to his name. He is the epitome of a No.10 player. The entire game-play revolves around him whenever he's on the pitch.
#2 Eden Hazard
No player has been more influential in the Premier League than Eden Hazard this season. The Belgian has only started in 6 games for Chelsea, but still leads the top-scoring chart of the league.
He has stepped up in absence of a reliable striker and has become the primary attacking threat that the Blues pose. He exemplifies on the pitch how a modern No.10 should play like.
#1 Lionel Messi
It had to be Lionel Messi on top of this list. The Barcelona talisman has redefined the No.10 role with his unprecedented performances on the right flank.
This season he has scored 6 goals and has 4 assists to his name. He has had a role in more than 50 % of all goals scored in the league by Blaugrana.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever have donned the No.10 jersey in the history of the game.
All stats via WhoScored
