The world scoffed when Birmingham City announced their plans to retire the number 22 shirt after Jude Bellingham left the club to join Borussia Dortmund in a reported club-record £25 million deal in 2020.
Football's retired shirt numbers – tragic deaths to youth wonderkids being honoured Icon status in the world of professional football is very difficult to achieve.
These legends of the sport are immortalised by their clubs in a number of different ways, whether it be with a statue outside the stadium, a stand named after them - or in this case, something that is exceptionally rare, retiring their shirt number.
They may have been at the club for a long time, they did something special to 'save' them or helped them win a special piece of silverware.
Over the years, some of association football's biggest names have had their shirt numbers retired.
