Man Utd banned from printing three iconic players' shirts as club rules are revealed
NAME GAME Man Utd banned from printing three iconic players' shirts as club rules are revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
MANCHESTER UNITED are BANNED from printing the names of three legendary players' shirts for licencing reasons.
Fans have been left baffled after learning that the club's official shop are FORBIDDEN from printing the three big names on the back of replica tops.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
5
Man Utd are banned from printing three iconic players' shirts
Credit: JDSport
United released the club's new home and away shirt for next season, with fans racing to get their favourite players names on the back.
Among these were huge United fan Simon Lloyd, who noticed something bizarre when he took his son to the Mega Store at Old Trafford this week.
According to the club's rules, fans can't get Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo printed on the back of their shirts.
Of course, that may come as a huge surprise given their iconic statuses.
READ MORE ON MAN UTD
ON THE LUKE OUT Shaw ready to quit Utd with injury-hit ace offered lucrative Saudi swansong
A policy sign mounted on shop wall read: 'Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to print Cantona, Beckham, and Ronaldo.'
Man Utd confirmed the licensing rule to SunSport on Friday.
The three icons own their image rights, meaning the club cannot print their name at the Megastore.
And fans online were left baffled by the widely unknown rule.
5
United are banned from printing Cristiano Ronaldo's name on shirts in the club shop
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
One wrote on X: "That's really weird!"
While a second joked: "What if your surname genuinely is Beckham 🤣."
Man United fans answer whether they still back Ruben Amorim
5
United are banned from printing Eric Cantona's name on shirts in the club shop
Credit: PA:Press Association
5
David Beckham also owns the image rights to his name
Credit: Getty - Contributor
But another raged: "I really detest the way football is going. It's all about the money and nothing else."
A fourth said: "That's an absolute disgrace."
The club also made it clear that they "only" print on the current season's shirts and fans can't ask for previous fonts used in older years.
Cantona was the face of Premier League football in the 90s, after helping United to four league titles, after joining from Leeds in 1992.
Beckham, who graduated from the club's famed youth academy, won six league titles and was part of the club's treble-winning campaign in 1999.
As for Ronaldo, he made his name at Old Trafford, winning three league titles, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or in 2008.
Fast forward 18 years and Ruben Amorim's squad are set to begin their pre-season US tour against West Ham on Saturday, before facing Bournemouth and Everton next week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
12 minutes ago
- Metro
The reason Man Utd and Newcastle target Benjamin Sesko is out of RB Leipzig game
Manchester United and Newcastle transfer target Benjamin Sesko has not been included in RB Leipzig's squad for Saturday's friendly against Atalanta. The 22-year-old's future is the subject of intense speculation with the Magpies having tabled a bid amid reports he has taken the decision to move to St James' Park. Earlier this week it had been reported that the Slovenia international had his heart set on a switch to Old Trafford and it remains to be seen whether or not United table a rival offer. Sesko had been due to play a part in Leipzig's game in Bergomo this afternoon but has been omitted, according to Sky Germany, so not to jeopardies a transfer. The striker is said to have already said goodbye to his teammates despite his eventual destination remaining up in the air. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. More to follow… MORE: Man Utd fans banned from getting three names printed on new shirt MORE: Manchester United star reveals 'very clear' Ruben Amorim message to outcast players MORE: Eddie Howe sends message to Alexander Isak after Liverpool transfer bid rejected
Metro
42 minutes ago
- Metro
Man Utd fans banned from getting three names printed on new shirt
Manchester United fans were stunned to learn that they cannot get the names of three former players printed on the club's new kit. Excitement for the new Premier League season is growing with less than two weeks to go before the opening game between champions Liverpool and Bournemouth. Clubs are finishing off their pre-season preparations, with United taking on Everton and Fiorentina before kicking-off the new campaign against Arsenal on August 17. Supporters are also gearing up the season by getting their hands on the new Red Devils home and away shirts, but those who recently ventured to the Old Trafford megastore were in for a surprise. As shared on social media by a fan, a sign displaying United's shirt printing policy states: 'Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to print Cantona, Beckham, and Ronaldo,' on the back of shirts. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are of course three of the greatest players in United's history and three icons of football. More Trending All wore the iconic No.7 shirt and won a total of 21 major trophies during their time in Manchester. Yet, United have confirmed that as the trio own their image rights, their names cannot be printed on replica kits at the club's own shop. Additionally, it is said this policy is not new and has actually been in place for a number of years. United are not the only club who have this issue, as it was reported last year that Real Madrid had banned fans from getting names of several Los Blancos legends on new kits, including Beckham and Ronaldo. Fans still have plenty of other names they can choose from, including new signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon who will wear numbers 10, 19 and 30 this season. It is an unusual sight to see Cunha donning the famous United No.10 shirt which had been worn by Marcus Rashford since 2018. 'It's something that you always dream about,' the forward said upon signing and taking over the number earlier this summer. 'I can mention many players that use this shirt. It's so easy for me. 'Of course, I think the one that I always think about when I see this number in this shirt for me was Wayne Rooney. He was someone that I grew up to watch him play and I have [watched] many games now. 'Then I swapped shirts with Marcus [after a game] also, I have his shirt in my home. But, of course, we know many players used this shirt – [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. 'It's the dream not only to use the shirt, but with all the history they have around the number, it's something beautiful that I have the privilege to do it.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Manchester United star reveals 'very clear' Ruben Amorim message to outcast players MORE: Manchester United told to buy former Arsenal transfer target after Benjamin Sesko blow MORE: Benjamin Sesko U-turns over Manchester United transfer after Newcastle talks
Scottish Sun
42 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Arsenal's summer, from Alexander Isak transfer interest to Max Dowman's emergence and Berta's sleepless nights
The north Londoners are keen on making a seventh addition to their squad in the coming weeks MIKEL ARTETA will feel the heat like never before this season – and he got his first taste of it in more ways than one on Arsenal's Asia pre-season tour. With the roof closed during training inside Singapore's National Stadium – the venue for their first two games of the trip – SunSport understands the squad and coaching staff were taken aback by the suffocating humidity. 8 Mikel Arteta is under immense pressure to deliver the Premier League title to the Emirates Credit: GETTY 8 The Spaniard's final preparations for the new season have taken place in the Gunners' pre-season tour of Asia Credit: GETTY 8 Arteta has made six additions to his squad this summer in a bid to win the Prem Credit: GETTY 8 New sporting director Andrea Berta has played an equally as big a role in the slew of arrivals at the Emirates this summer Credit: GETTY And in their luxury Rosewood hotel in Hong Kong – the day before their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham – boss Arteta was unexpectedly mobbed by at least 50 fans in a tight corridor outside the lifts near the lobby. The Spaniard asked for calm, signed a few shirts before his security team intervened and he was ushered away for a rare bit of peace and quiet. SunSport has been told that Arteta – an intense, obsessive character – made a conscious effort to try and enjoy this tour, to embrace the challenges of being half way around the world and put a positive spin on them. In fact, upon landing in Singapore, SunSport understands that Arteta and managing director Richard Garlick gave a rousing speech to the touring party, with 'energy' a key phrase. READ MORE ON ARSENAL NOT HOLDING ON Ex-Arsenal star has contract terminated in blunt 52-word statement And when their first training session had to be delayed by several hours because of severe thunderstorms, Arteta laughed it off as 'adapting to the context'. But watching him up close across their 13-day tour, Arteta appeared as laser-focused and detailed as ever, and perhaps even more so, knowing that damaging questions will be asked should the Gunners fail to win the Premier League or Champions League this term after three second-placed league finishes on the spin. In an open training session in Singapore on July 25, Arteta was seen getting more involved than he usually would, pushing coaches out of the way to close down players in drills and taking no prisoners, whether it was first-team superstar Bukayo Saka or 15-year-old Max Dowman, setting the tone and leading by example. The drills themselves were also immensely complicated to watch, let alone to take part in, with four groups attacking different goals simultaneously, perhaps a sign that Arteta wants more fluidity in his side's game this season, having been accused last term of being too rigid and predictable in attack. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN 8 The emergence of 15-year-old Max Dowman in pre-season has been a positive for Mikel Arteta Credit: GETTY 8 The Spaniard has high hopes for the teenager Credit: GETTY But nothing Arteta did could distract the thousands of fans from the news that was already dominating the tour: the imminent arrival of Viktor Gyokeres. During that open training session, fans in the stands could be heard chanting: 'We want Gyokeres'. A day later – on July 26 – it was finally announced. Arsenal vs Tottenham fan debate battle | Stoppage Time It had been a slog of a deal to get over the line. On July 24 – two days before Gyokeres flew to Singapore – SunSport understands that senior officials were still desperately trying to iron out details surrounding the future add-ons owed to Sporting Lisbon. Gyokeres admitted to SunSport in Hong Kong that the past few weeks – the waiting, the uncertainty, the immense spotlight and media duties upon signing – had taken its toll on him, and understandably was not rushed into action by Arteta, given just 13 minutes off the bench against Spurs in an attempt to ease him into his new surroundings. But his aura is there for all to see. Arteta was keen to see the look in the eyes of the squad when Gyokeres walked through the door, and he liked what he saw. Arteta knows this is a different sort of Arsenal signing, one for the here and now instead of the future, and there is an acceptance that they will need to slightly change their way of playing to suit his style, like Manchester City and Pep Guardiola did with Erling Haaland. Do not expect to see the big Swedish No.9 coming short and linking up play. He lives and breathes in the six-yard box to finish with a deadly accuracy, and it is understood that is all Arteta will judge him on come the end of the season. At the end of one of his first sessions, Gyokeres spent a considerable time heading Ben White crosses from the right flank into an empty net. A sign of things to come? Gyokeres was not the only striker considered in the window. SunSport understands the Gunners had a brief interest in signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle, but quickly moved on to other targets after learning of his £100m-plus valuation. Red Bull Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko was also a target, but were put off by some of the parameters laid out in early negotiations and viewed it as too much of a gamble. In the end, Gyokeres ticked all the boxes. Arsenal's leadership team – including executive vice-chair Tim Lewis and managing director Richard Garlick – were in constant communication this summer. One of the key words used when deciding on a player being 'robustness' following last season's injury issues – something they insist they can no longer compromise on if they want to challenge on multiple fronts. But there is an acceptance that a lot of their absences were out of their hands, such as defender Gabriel, who required hamstring surgery after clocking a sprint speed of around 35kph to catch Adama Traore in April's 2-1 win over Fulham – something he had not done for weeks having spent a period back home in Brazil on international duty. Sitting on a plane for hours did not help. The influence of new sporting director Andrea Berta cannot be underestimated either. His appointment in March was one months in the making. 8 Arsenal made a statement this summer by signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Libson Credit: AP The Italian's name was instantly discussed by the leadership team in November when Edu announced his shock departure. After Lewis and Garlick met with Berta in December, Arteta spoke with him soon after before a final meeting with co-owner Josh Kroenke. They were all convinced he was the right man. And they have been rewarded, with six signings made between July 1 and July 26. His tough negotiation style, as well as his financial creativity in getting deals over the line, has left many impressed. SunSport understands that there are those at Arsenal who have jokingly questioned when Berta gets any sleep in between negotiations. The emergence of Dowman has also been one of the surprises of the tour. 8 The Gunners were briefly interested in signing wantaway Newcastle striker Alexander Isak Credit: PA The Hale End teenager's name was met wildly by fans whenever it was mentioned by the stadium announcers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a reception similar to Gyokeres. Arteta understands the clamour for him to now be involved next term, and appreciates he will have to take the noise from fans if he is not given his Prem debut sooner rather than later. SunSport understands the data Dowman produced for the youth teams last term matched that of several first-team stars, and that he has earned his chance to make the step up. Dowman's impressive performances off the bench against AC Milan, Newcastle and Tottenham have only reinforced this view, but Arteta is also wary of pushing him too much too soon. Especially given that, physically, he is at risk of being roughed up by Prem opposition defenders. The heat is on Arteta, but there is a feeling that in all aspects, on and off the pitch, Arsenal have never been better prepared to start a campaign with some oomph.
