Port Vale: Adam Yates hurt at not retaining his number 2 shirt

Adam Yates has been first-choice right-back for his hometown club Port Vale since 2009

Port Vale defender Adam Yates says he was disappointed to lose his number 2 shirt for this season.

The 32-year-old former Crewe Alexandra trainee, Vale's longest-serving player, signed a new one-year deal in June.

But he has been given competition at right-back by the arrival of Ben Purkiss, who has been given the number instead.

"I was not best pleased about it. I don't think anyone would be," Yates told BBC Radio Stoke.

The decision was taken by Vale manager Rob Page.

"It was his call," said Yates. "He knows I wasn't happy about it. I've been here six years. I told him if it had happened to him he wouldn't have been happy about it, but it's part and parcel of football."

Although Yates is hurt at instead being given the squad number 16, it has only increased his determination to win a place in Vale's starting XI for their opening game against his first club Crewe on the opening day on 8 August.

"That what you work so hard for in pre-season," he added. "And, if not, there's another 50-odd games this season that anyone could play in. You have to get your head down and keep going."

I'm a number, not a name...

Mario Balotelli always wears number 45, because, apparently, it is his lucky number. Liverpool fans might disagree.

Teddy Sheringham once asked to wear the number 10 shirt for Manchester United, freeing David Beckham to go to seven.

Bury pair Chris Sedgwick and Craig Jones have already swapped shirts before the start of the season. Jones will wear 14, while player-coach Sedgwick has reclaimed his preferred number 12.

Stephen Bywater wears the number 43 shirt at every club he has been at in memory of his old West Ham United goalkeeping coach Les Sealey, who died in 2001, when he was just 43.

Asamoah Gyan wanted to wear the number 3 at Sunderland, as it is his lucky number. But had to make do with 33, while having three shaved into his hair. "Three is a powerful number," he said.

Tyrone Mings' squad number changed from 15 to three

After having his shirt number changed from 15 to three, Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings promised two disappointed fans with replica shirts that he would pay for new shirts for them.

Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner also made the same gesture after opting to swap from 26 to his supposedly lucky number 52.

Brentford's first-choice goalkeeper David Button does not want to move from 27 to the now vacant one for the new season because 27 is the date of both his and his wife's birthdays.

And last but not least... Chile striker Ivan Zamorano. Signed by Inter Milan in 1996, he wore 9 until Roberto Baggio joined two years later and was given Ronaldo's number 10 shirt. The Brazilian moved to nine. And the piqued Zamorano opted instead for '1+8'.