Getting a name printed onto a football shirt is a sacred ordeal that not only spices up your favourite jersey but also defines you as a person. Nothing summarises a human-being more than the identify they choose to adopt while wearing their teams' colours. Some will choose a goalscorer leaving them exposed on the terraces as an arrogant, self-proclaimed-messiah-wannabe while others will select a creative number seven or strongman five. One category remains: The customisation game. You know who you are... the folk who believe that despite there being 320 players per top flight league, they simply aren't shirt-worthy and decide that "Who 8 All The Pies" is what they're looking for. But, which popular footballers are currently featured on the back of their adoring fans' shirts in 2015? A study conducted by SillySeason.com has analysed the shirt sales statistics and enabled us to bring you the best selling football shirt names in world football this year. How many of these guys do you see wandering around the streets near you?
10. Shinji Kagawa
When Shinji Kagawa joined Manchester United from Dortmund in 2012 his shirt sales went through the roof. The Japanese playmaker made 38 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring six goals including a hat-trick against Norwich. The 26-year-old returned to Die Borussen in 2014 and signed a contract until June 2018 with his former club, where he is worshipped. He now wears the number seven shirt.
NCTJ-accredited football writer with an MA in Sports Journalism. What Culture football editor. Write for the official Newcastle United programme. Former video reporter at North News. Featured and published in the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette, Mail Online, The Mirror, The Sun and others.
