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Wilfried Bony: Swansea's new striker will wear the No 2 shirt even though No 9 is available

'The Premier League should step in,' one angry supporter wrote. 'What a dreadful thing for fans to have their striker wearing 2.'

Evan Bartlett
Friday 01 September 2017 12:41 BST
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Wilfried Bony will wear Swansea's No 2 shirt this season
Wilfried Bony will wear Swansea's No 2 shirt this season (Swansea City)

The Premier League stepped in to prevent Swansea's new loan signing Renato Sanches from wearing the No 85 shirt this season and now fans are calling on them to intervene in a crime of equal measure.

Wilfried Bony, who returned to the club on deadline day after two and half years away, will be wearing the No 2 shirt this season - despite being a striker and despite the No 9 shirt being available.

"The second coming... Bony is back!" the club tweeted on Friday morning with a picture of the Ivorian's new shirt.

"We're sure the Premier League won't reject this one."

The Premier League stopped Sanches from wearing 85 over rules which state shirt numbers "must be consecutive and close to the current highest number", the club explained.

No trouble for Bony, however, who will wear a shirt traditionally associated with right-backs.

"It’s a special number for me,” Bony, who wore 10 in his previous spell at the club, explained.

"It’s the second time I am at the club, hence I wanted to wear number two, and I want to achieve more for the team."

The 28-year-old finally rejoined the Swans after the club agreed a £12m fee with Manchester City, just a few seasons after he moved to the Etihad for £25m.

But it seems not all fans will be rushing to the club shop to buy his new shirt.

"No 2? This is an outrage!" one wrote.

"Football is on its arse," exclaimed another. "A striker having number 2 is sickening."

One simply said: "Disgusting."

Bony, however, said he was excited to get back into the white and black.

“The fans were very good to me, and I can’t wait to be back with them again," the forward said.

“I always watched the Swansea news all the time on the internet and the games they played. The club was always a part of me.

“We had some enjoyable moments together – now those moments are happening again.”

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