Why Andre Onana will wear the No.24 shirt at Man Utd - not No.1 | OneFootball

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Manchester United have finally unveiled the signing of Andre Onana as the club's new number one goalkeeper, ending Erik ten Hag's search for David de Gea's replacement.

Onana, who has been highly sought after by a number of Europe's biggest clubs over the years, due to impressive spells at Ajax and Inter Milan, has made the switch to the Premier League, joining the Red Devils as they look to build on the back of last season's third-placed finish.

The goalkeeper suits Ten Hag's style of play perfectly and should mesh well with the squad. There's no doubt right now that he'll be United's number one option in between the sticks, but he won't actually be sporting the number on the back of his shirt, instead he's opted to wear No.24, one that he's grown accustomed to wearing throughout the majority of his career.

So, why isn't Onana going to be wearing No.1? Here's the reason.

Why won't Andre Onana be wearing No.1 at Manchester United?

The reasons behind Onana's decision not to wear No.1 on the back of his shirt is surprisingly a superstitious one. After signing for Ajax in 2015, the number was taken by first-choice keeper at the time, Jasper Cillessen, so the former Cameroon international had to choose a different number, picking No.24, for reasons that will be explained shortly.

After Cillessen left the club the following summer, Onana didn't immediately seize the No.1 shirt, waiting one year before he chose to upgrade to it, ready to make it his own. His sole season wearing the number was a disappointing one for both himself and Ajax, though, with the club struggling to make any sort of mark in Europe and finishing four points behind league champions PSV Eindhoven.

It was a rough season for the keeper too, with Onana conceding significantly more goals (33) while wearing the number in comparison to the season before (20). He also kept fewer clean sheets that year, with 12 as opposed to the 15 he kept a year prior.

As a result, the keeper clearly thought the number was a bad omen and switched back to No.24 the year after, and it brought about one of Ajax's most successful seasons in recent memory.

When he was forced to choose a different number, Onana chose No.24 to don on the back of his shirt. While at first glance, that may seem a little weird, the reasoning is as straightforward as it can get.

The shot-stopper chose the number as it matched his birthday. Onana was born on April 2nd, the second day of the fourth month, so it was a simple decision that clearly didn't require too much thought.

He's worn the number ever since his one shaky season in the No.1 shirt, and has regularly been one of the best goalkeepers in the world during that time.