Elliot Anderson Takes No.5 Shirt at City—A Legacy Continues

Elliot Anderson has been handed one of the heaviest shirts in the building.

The new signing will wear No.5 for City this season, stepping straight into the number vacated by club great John Stones, who left in the summer after a decade, 20 trophies and a legacy that reshaped the defence. It is not just a squad number; it is a statement of trust.

Stones’ old shirt carries a serious roll call. Pablo Zabaleta, Sylvain Distin, Andy Morrison, Paul Power and Tommy Booth have all worn that five on their backs, each leaving their own mark on different eras of the club. Anderson now joins that lineage, expected to add his own chapter rather than simply follow it.

New Hierarchy in Defence

At the heart of defence, another change signals a new hierarchy.

Marc Guéhi has moved into No.6, the shirt freed up by Nathan Aké’s departure. Guéhi arrived in January and wore No.15 as City swept to Carabao Cup and FA Cup success in the 2025/26 campaign, but this is the number that truly fits him. It is the same No.6 he wore throughout his five-year spell at Crystal Palace, a familiar figure on his back as he settles into a bigger role in blue.

Goalkeeping Changes

Behind them, the goalkeeping picture has been redrawn.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is now City’s No.1. The Italian takes over the traditional keeper’s shirt from James Trafford, who completed a permanent move to Leeds last week. The switch feels natural: Donnarumma wore No.25 last season, but he is the first-choice goalkeeper for Italy with No.1 on his back and carried the same number in his final year at PSG, a season in which he lifted Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Champions League.

The No.1 shirt at City is steeped in history. Frank Swift, Bert Trautmann, Joe Corrigan, Tony Coton and Joe Hart all guarded the net with that digit between their shoulders. Donnarumma steps into a tradition defined by big personalities and bigger performances.

There is a fresh face in the goalkeeper union as well. New arrival Gerónimo Rulli has taken No.28, the same number he wore at the very start of his career with Estudiantes de La Plata. For him, it is a return to his roots, even as he begins a new chapter at the top level.

Numbers are rarely just numbers at a club like this. They carry echoes, expectations and, for the players who pull them on, a clear message: this is your place in the story now.