Shirt Number Stories: No. 11

In our latest series, we take a look back at some of the notable players to have worn a specific shirt number in the club's history...

On Saturday evening at the Stadio Bentegodi, summer signing Pedro Rodriguez made his first appearance for the Giallorossi.

The World Cup winner impressed in his first run-out with the shirt - and he did so with the No. 11 on his back, having opted for that number on the eve of the new season.

The choice probably did not come as a surprise to many - the Spaniard wore No. 17 (the number he has in his Twitter profile) and then No. 7 during his time at Barcelona, but took the No. 11 upon moving to Chelsea and has invariably chosen it at international level too.

To mark the occasion, we decided to take a look back at some of the other notable players to have taken on this particular shirt number down the years...

11

ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV

2017 - 2020
Other numbers worn: n/a
Total apps: 132
Total goals: 19

The previous holder of the No. 11 shirt - Kolarov's departure this summer enabling Pedro to swoop in and take it for the 2020-21 season.

The No. 11 shirt on a left-back may not appeal too much to football purists, but Kolarov is not the first player in club history to fill that combination - club captain Amedeo Carboni (featured further down) also had that particularly trend down.

Kolarov enjoyed three productive years in Rome, including an outstanding first season. With quality on the ball and over deadballs he reminded many of Sinisa Mihajlovic - while his first derby goal, a free-kick, will surely live long in the memory for Giallorossi fans.

MOHAMED SALAH

2015 - 2017
Other numbers worn: n/a
Total apps: 83
Total goals: 34

Much more of a classic No. 11, in his two seasons at the Olimpico Salah often showed the traits that would see him become such a phenomenon in the Premier League.

His coach for much of that period, Luciano Spalletti, was equally impressed by his defensive efforts - but Salah was a complete attacking threat, with pace, technique and an eye for goal.

A hat-trick against Bologna was among a number of standout games, while he was a key factor in Edin Dzeko's Capocannoniere campaign of 2016-17 with the way he stretched defences and played in dangerous crosses.

RODRIGO TADDEI

2005 - 2014
Other numbers worn: n/a
Total apps: 296
Total goals: 31

The man who has held the No. 11 shirt for longer than any other, the Brazilian held the shirt for nine straight seasons at the Stadio Olimpico.

That may have stayed the same but his actual position on the pitch often changed, with Taddei capable of covering so many roles and complimenting so many different teammates with his blend of skills. From full-back to flying winger he was invariably equally reliable, while he also had an eye for goal.

For many, his header - reminiscent of Roberto Pruzzo - against Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2008 will always stand out, but more generally Taddei was a member of one of the most enjoyable Roma sides to watch in recent decades.

EMERSON

2000 - 2004
Other numbers worn: n/a
Total apps: 145
Total goals: 21

Few Roma fans, even now, will forgive the all-action midfielder for his decision to join Juventus - but it wasn't always like that.

A serious early injury derailed his first season with the club, but Emerson worked himself back into form and fitness in time to be another key element of the club's successful 2000-01 campaign, the No. 11 often all over the pitch to give that unforgettable front three the platform they needed to do what they did best.

He was in many ways the complete midfielder, equally capable defending and starting attacks. The No. 11 might not have been the most suitable number for such a player, but he made it his own for a spell.

AMEDEO CARBONI

1996 - 1997
Other numbers worn: 3, 6, 14
Total apps: 230
Total goals: 4

For the season he captained the club, Carboni opted for the No. 11 shirt - setting a trend for the left-back to take the number that Kolarov would continue so many years later.

Carboni was not exactly the same player - more defensively-minded, without the same silky delivery from the flanks - and would impress more with the solidity he offered in a subsequent spell with Valencia.

Throughout his long stint with the Giallorossi he wore various numbers, with the No. 3 and No. 6 both also being his for stints.

OTHER NOTABLE WEARERS

Plenty of notable names have worn the No. 11 for at least a period down the years, from John Charles and Giancarlo De Sisti through to Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Caniggia.

Eusebio Di Francesco, who would go on to coach the club, initially wore the No. 11 - switching to the No. 7 ahead of the 2000-01 season and paving the way for Emerson to take it on hmself.

More recently, the shirt has passed through various different hands - Daniele Corvia and, surprisingly enough, Alessio Romagnoli both being official owners of the shirt for a period (although Romagnoli never actually wore the shirt in a competitive game, being loaned out to Sampdoria just days after the season started).

With assigned numbers only becoming a thing in Serie A in the mid-1990s, forwards Daniel Fonseca and Massimiliano Cappioli both claimed it for a season too.

On Roma Women, meanwhile, the number was worn by forward Luisa Pugnali for the club's inaugural season in Serie A. After her departure at the end of that campaign, Slovenian full-back Kaja Erzen has take possession of the number.