Donny van de Beek picks jersey No. 34 for Manchester United in honour of Abdelhak Nouri

Earlier this week, Donny van de Beek completed his £40.3 million switch to Manchester United from Ajax. The 23-year-old has held talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before the move and the Dutch midfielder agreed to a long-term contract, becoming the first signing of the Red Devils this summer. 

Donny van de Beek to wear No. 34 for Man United in honour of Abdelhak Nouri

Donny van de Beek's signing was a long pending one for Manchester United, but when it was done, there was a buzz among fans on Van de Beek's jersey number as the number the Dutch international wore at Ajax is already allotted at Manchester United. However, it has now been revealed that the midfielder has requested for a No 34 shirt at his new club. 

Donny van de Beek will wear jersey number 34 in a tribute to his former teammate Abdelhak Nouri, who collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrhythmia attack during an Ajax pre-season game against Werder Bremen back in 2017. Abdelhak Nouri, who wore the No.34 shirt for the Dutch club, was in a state of coma for nearly three years and is now recovering at home. Donny van de Beek and Nouri came up through the youth ranks together at Ajax. 

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Donny van de Beek's No 34 for former teammate Abdelhak Nouri will not be the first instance of such a tribute to Mouri. Several players who played with Nouri and left Ajax have also taken the No.34 shirt at their new clubs as a tribute. Amin Younes, Justin Kluivert and Joel Veltman have all picked the No 34 shirt at their respective clubs.

Donny Van de Beek's first interview after becoming a Red Devil

“This is a special thing for me because my good friend Abdelhak Nouri, maybe you know the story, he had a heart attack and he’s a good friend of mine. I’m really close with his family and his brother is one of my best friends and I talk a lot with them. So I decided to take his old number on my shirt and I want to get good memories with this number.” Van de Beek said in his first interview in England. 

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The Dutchman also exclaimed with joy on joining Manchester United. “I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity it is to join a club with such an amazing history,” Donny Van de Beek said. The new Man United signing is currently with the Netherlands as he prepares for the upcoming Nations League double-header with Poland and Italy. He will arrive in England post the qualifiers. 

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Image Courtesy: PL India, Van de Beek Twitter