Retiring a jersey number remains one of the rarest honours in English football, reserved for players whose impact on a club became so powerful that supporters could no longer imagine seeing anyone else wear the number.
Across football, only a select group of numbers have reached that level of importance, with some becoming permanently associated with the players who made them famous. Unlike in American sports, where retired jerseys are relatively common, English clubs have traditionally been far more selective, making every retirement carry a story of exceptional service, tragedy or extraordinary promise.
Unlike in American sports, where retired jerseys are relatively common, English clubs have traditionally been far more selective, making every retirement carry a story of exceptional service, tragedy or extraordinary promise.
The list includes an England World Cup-winning captain, a Manchester City midfielder who died on the pitch, a teenager whose career exploded before he left Birmingham City and, most recently, Diogo Jota, whose No.20 became permanently associated with Liverpool after his tragic death in 2025.
Here are 10 English clubs that retired jersey numbers
10. Richard Butcher, Macclesfield Town
Retired number: 21
Richard Butcher did not spend years at Macclesfield Town, but his short spell at the club ended with a tragedy that left a lasting mark on supporters.
The midfielder initially joined Macclesfield on loan from Lincoln City in February 2010 and scored on his debut against Bury before completing a permanent move later that year. He made 15 league appearances for the club and scored three goals before his final appearance came against Rotherham United in January 2011.
Butcher was found dead at his home in Salford just six days later, having failed to report for training, with his death coming less than a year after the passing of former Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander, who had also worked with him at Lincoln.
Macclesfield retired the No.21 shirt in his memory, turning a number that had belonged to a relatively brief chapter of his career into a permanent part of the club’s history.
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9. Ray Jones, Queens Park Rangers
Retired number: 31
Ray Jones was only 18, but the Queens Park Rangers forward had already given supporters a glimpse of the exciting career that might have followed.
The young striker had broken into the first team at Loftus Road during the 2006/07 season, showing the pace and attacking instincts that had made him one of the most highly regarded prospects in the club’s system.
His life was tragically cut short on August 25, 2007, when the car he was driving collided with a bus, killing Jones and the two other occupants.
QPR postponed their match against Burnley following the tragedy and later retired the No.31 shirt that Jones had worn during his breakthrough, ensuring that the number would remain permanently connected with one of the club’s most heartbreaking stories.
8. Michael Maidens, Hartlepool United
Retired number: 25
Michael Maidens was still only 20 when his promising football career and life were brought to a devastating end, having already made the step from Hartlepool United’s academy into senior football as a teenager.
Maidens broke into Hartlepool’s first team in 2004 and quickly attracted attention as an energetic young midfielder, eventually making 31 appearances for the club.
One of his most memorable moments came when his long-range strike against Huddersfield Town won Hartlepool’s Goal of the Season award, a fitting reminder of the ability he possessed before his career had properly begun.
Maidens died in a road accident in October 2007, and Hartlepool retired his No.25 jersey in his memory while also renaming the club’s Goal of the Season award after him, creating a second lasting tribute to a player whose potential was never allowed to fully unfold.
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7. Dale Roberts, Rushden & Diamonds
Retired number: 1
Goalkeepers rarely receive the same attention as prolific strikers or legendary midfielders, but Dale Roberts became an important figure for Rushden & Diamonds before his life was tragically cut short at only 24.
Roberts had established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper and was preparing for an FA Trophy meeting with his former club Eastwood Town when news of his death emerged in December 2010.
The fixture was postponed, and Rushden & Diamonds subsequently retired the No.1 shirt in his memory.
The original club later disappeared, but the tribute survived through AFC Rushden & Diamonds, with the club continuing to recognise Roberts and the number that became permanently associated with him.
6. Billy Kee, Accrington Stanley
Retired number: 29
Billy Kee’s story stands apart from the other names on this list because his No.29 was retired to honour an extraordinary footballing contribution rather than following his death.
The Northern Irish striker had already represented Accrington Stanley on loan before returning permanently in 2015, eventually becoming one of the most productive forwards in the club’s modern history.
Kee was particularly influential during Accrington’s promotion-winning 2017/18 campaign, scoring 25 league goals as Stanley claimed the League Two title and reached the third tier of English football.
His career was later affected by serious personal struggles, including depression, anxiety and bulimia, and he retired from professional football in January 2020.
Accrington subsequently retired the No.29 jersey in recognition of his contribution, making Kee one of the few English players to receive the honour during retirement rather than posthumously.
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5. Jack Lester, Chesterfield
Retired number: 14
Jack Lester turned Chesterfield’s No.14 shirt into a number supporters immediately associated with goals, leadership and commitment.
The striker spent six years with the Spireites and scored 83 goals in 196 league appearances, developing into one of the club’s most popular forwards during a period when his finishing repeatedly delivered important results.
Lester’s final professional appearance came in April 2013, when he scored twice during Chesterfield’s 4-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers, providing an almost perfect ending to his playing career.
A few months later, Chesterfield announced that the No.14 shirt would be retired in his honour, while Lester later returned to the club as manager during the 2017/18 season.
For Chesterfield supporters, No.14 became far more than a squad number because it represented one of the most prolific and popular forwards of the modern era.
4. Marc-Vivien Foé, Manchester City
Retired number: 23
Marc-Vivien Foé spent only one season at Manchester City, but his sudden death while representing Cameroon ensured that the No.23 would forever carry his name at the club.
Foé joined City on loan from Lyon for the 2002/03 campaign and made 35 appearances, scoring nine goals from midfield while quickly becoming a popular figure at Maine Road.
On June 26, 2003, he collapsed during Cameroon’s Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia and could not be revived despite lengthy attempts by medical staff.
The cause of death was later linked to a heart condition, and the tragedy sent shockwaves through football.
Manchester City permanently retired the No.23 jersey as a mark of respect, while Maine Road, the club’s former home, became a place where supporters gathered to leave flowers, shirts and messages following his death.
The club still remembers Foé as an important part of its history.
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3. Jude Bellingham, Birmingham City
Retired number: 22
Few shirt retirements in English football have generated as much debate as Birmingham City’s decision to retire Jude Bellingham’s No.22 after he left the club for Borussia Dortmund in 2020.
Bellingham had only spent one full season in Birmingham’s first team, yet his performances in the Championship had already made it obvious that the teenager possessed qualities rarely seen in someone so young.
He became Birmingham’s youngest-ever first-team player at 16 years and 38 days and quickly developed into one of the most exciting young midfielders in the division.
When he moved to Dortmund, Birmingham retired the No.22 shirt in recognition of his contribution and as an inspiration to players coming through the club’s academy.
At the time, the decision looked unusually generous for a player with such a short senior career, but Bellingham’s subsequent rise has changed the context completely, with his development at Dortmund followed by his emergence as a superstar at Real Madrid and one of the leading midfielders of his generation.
2. Bobby Moore, West Ham United
Retired number: 6
Bobby Moore’s place on this list requires little explanation because his legacy with West Ham United and England places him among the most important English footballers of all time.
Moore spent 16 years with West Ham, making more than 600 appearances and winning the FA Cup in 1964 before helping the club claim the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following year.
His greatest achievement came in 1966, when he captained England to their only men’s World Cup triumph, lifting the trophy at Wembley after one of the most famous finals in international football history.
Moore remained closely associated with West Ham until he died in 1993, and the club eventually retired the No.6 shirt in August 2008, 15 years after his passing.
The honour reflected a player whose importance to West Ham went far beyond statistics, with Moore still widely regarded as the greatest player in the club’s history.
1. Diogo Jota, Liverpool
Retired number: 20
Diogo Jota’s No.20 is the newest shirt number on this list, but its story has already become one of the most emotional in Liverpool’s history.
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and quickly became an important part of Jurgen Klopp’s attack, combining intelligent movement, relentless pressing and a natural instinct for scoring in important moments.
He made 182 appearances for Liverpool and scored 65 goals, winning the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 before helping the club win the Premier League title in 2024/25.
The title carried another layer of meaning because it was Liverpool’s 20th league championship, while Jota had worn the No.20 throughout his time at Anfield.
On July 3, 2025, Jota and his brother André Silva died in a car crash in Spain, sending shockwaves through Liverpool, Portugal and the wider football world.
Just eight days later, Liverpool announced that the No.20 shirt would be retired across every level of the club, including the men’s and women’s teams and the academy, following consultation with Jota’s wife Rute and his family.
The decision was historic because Liverpool had never previously retired a player’s squad number, meaning Jota became the first player in the club’s long history to receive that honour.
The number therefore carries a meaning that goes beyond the goals Jota scored or the trophies he helped Liverpool win, because every future generation of players will see No.20 missing from the squad list and know exactly why.
Liverpool’s official player profile now describes Jota as permanently immortalised as the club’s No.20, ensuring that the shirt number will remain attached to his memory for generations to come.
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