Published 10:23 IST, October 6th 2020
Man United women's duo Tobin Heath, Christen Press top male superstars in jersey sales
Man United women's new arrivals, Tobin Heath and Christen Press, reportedly topped the charts in jersey sales, beating male stars like Pogba and Fernandes.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Premier League heavyweights Manchester United have already started reaping the rewards for bringing in a US Women's National Team duo to the club this season. Man United signed Christen Press and Tobin Heath, both two-time World Cup winners, from Portland Thorns and Utah Royals, respectively. While the two were expected to have an immediate impact, the Red Devils started benefitting from their acquisitions even before they made their debuts for the club.
Tobin Heath, Christen Press lead Man United jersey sales
According to reports in England, Man United have seen a spike in jersey sales in the past month or so, particularly of their women's football stars. The jersey sale numbers for Christen Press and Tobin Heath comfortably dwarfed those of the club's men's football stars including the high profile names such as Paul Pugba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. While the exact numbers are yet to be revealed, Daily Mail reports their shirts were so in demand they initially outsold even those of their male counterparts during the first three days of their arrival.
Tobin Heath donned the No.77 at Man United, moving away from No.17, which she adorned for the longest period in her career. The latter was already taken at United by fellow new signing Ona Batlle. Likewise, Christen Press also donned a new jersey number to start her career in England. Shifting away from her usual No.23, Press opted to 24, which also honoured the legacy of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Press, a Los Angeles Native, told reporters, in an interview last month, that she grew up idolising Bryant, who was a beloved figure in the LA area. Press' No.23 was already occupied by Alessia Russo, which gave the USWNT star an opportunity to opt for a new number which also had a significant meaning to her. Speaking to Goal, Press said, "I'm not someone that holds too much luck or significance to a number, but when I wasn't able to wear my normal number, I definitely chose this with a little nod to Kobe. I'm an LA girl and grew up [when] everyone, everywhere we went, they were crazy for Kobe."
Both made their long-awaited debuts for Manchester United during the weekend, helping Man United to a 3-0 win over Brighton. Heath entered the fray in the 70th minute while Press joined her in the 77th minute. The former even provided the assist on United’s third and final goal of the game, picking out Jane Ross for a header at the far post.
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(Image Credits: Man United Women's Twitter)
Updated 10:23 IST, October 6th 2020