Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Eyes Fresh Start With New Shirt Number After Injury Nightmare

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will start afresh with a new shirt number at Anfield next season after completing the long road to recovery from a serious knee injury.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was handed the number 21 jersey when he first completed a £35m switch from Arsenal two years ago. However, he will now begin the 2019/20 campaign with the number 15 on his back instead, the shirt he previously during his time with the Gunners.

The switch has been made possible following the recent announcement that Daniel Sturridge will be leaving Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the month.

The England forward, who will depart Anfield as a free agent alongside Spanish full-back Alberto Moreno, had worn number 15 since for the best part of six years after arriving in January 2013.

"It's a number I've had a long affiliation with through my career," the player said. "Hopefully, I can carry it as well as 'Studge' has the last six or seven seasons. I've got nothing else to really say, other than...We've won it six times!"

With Liverpool having launched their new kit for next season a number of weeks ago, Oxlade-Chamberlain also made the kind gesture to 'sort things out' for any fans who have already purchased the 2019/20 shirt with his old number 21 on the back.

OLI SCARFF/GettyImages

After a year out of action following knee ligament damage in the 2017/18 Champions League semi final first leg against Roma, Oxlade-Chamberlain made his long awaited comeback in the first team at the end of April as a substitute in a Premier League game against Huddersfield.

The 25-year-old also appeared in the closing stages of the final day victory over Wolves and was named on an extended bench for the Champions League final against Tottenham.