What do Jesse Pye, Jimmy Murray, John Richards and Steve Bull have in common apart from the fact they will be forever revered in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ folklore?
Each proudly wore the black and gold number nine shirt– an honour which has been bestowed to Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
After making a big impression on manager Mick McCarthy and the fans last season, the Coca-Cola Championship’s Golden Boot award winner has been granted the shirt which he has now exchanged for the number 27 squad jersey he wore last time out.
With the manager announcing his quad numbers for this season’s Championship onslaught, Andy Keogh moves to take up the number 10 shirt vacated by Jay Bothroyd with Blake back in his favoured shirt and hoping to build on the 25 goals he scored in all competitions last season.
He said: “Obviously it is nice to get the number nine shirt. It doesn’t mean anything in terms of added pressure or anything like that but it’s nice as a striker to wear the number nine.
“My favourite player Andy Cole wore the number nine at Manchester United so it’s good. I think it’s a reward for hard work that the gaffer has given it his blessing.
“Andy Keogh was nine but he’s worn number ten for a long time during his career so he was quite happy to switch. We knew number 10 was going to be vacant and I was offered that.”
Ebanks-Blake added: “The players all had a chat and obviously players like certain numbers, not superstition or anything but just what they like wearing. Andy likes 10 and was happy to take it which made nine available and I grabbed it with both hands. I wore nine at Plymouth and also in United’s reserves. It’s always been my number and so I’m really pleased to get it again.
“All good things in life come from hard work and I think if you set a base with that everything else that comes with it is deserved. That’s always been my ambition.”
Bull will always be the club’s legendary number nine. Ebanks-Blake said: “I know fans will compare and it’s all part of their love for the club. Predecessors have worn it and done really well but it’s still only a number.
“And for me you can never really judge a career until the career is over or has almost finished. Let me have my career and then look back and if I’ve been successful we can talk about it.”
