Abdoulaye Doucouré Everton shirt number revealed

Everton have completed the signing of midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure from Watford FC who were relegated at the end of the last Premier League season. After his unveiling today, it was announced that the player will be wearing the #16 shirt for the Toffees.

Doucoure previously wore the #8 at Stade Rennais where he played from 2012 to February 2016. He was then bought by Watford and sent on loan for half a season to Granada in La Liga, where he wore the #16 shirt. After joining the Hornets in June 2016, he retained the #16 for the four seasons he spent there.

The France-born 27-year-old, who is also eligible to play for Mali, will be joining his former Hornets teammate Richarlison at the Blues, and should be right at home with fellow French speakers Lucas Digne and Niels Nkounkou.

After joining the Toffees, Doucoure said of the Blues who have already been expressing thir admiration for him on social media -

“I want to thank the fans for their support already - now I can’t wait to start on the pitch.”

The #16 shirt at Everton was last worn by James McCarthy between 2013-14 and 2018-19 when he left the club for Crystal Palace. Other prominent players to have worn the number for the Blues are - Thomas Hitzlsperger (12/13), Jermaine Beckford (10/11 - 11/12), Phil Jagielka (07/08), Lee Carsley (05/06), Thomas Gravesen (00/01 - 04/05), Danny Cadamarteri (99/00), Michael Branch (97/98 - 98/99), Vinny Samways (95/96), David Burrows (94/95), Preki (93/94), Jim Arnold (84/85) [Transfermarkt].