The Moroccan striker Hicham Zerouali carved his name into the annals of football history when he became the first and only player in the history of British football to ever wear shirt number zero.
This remarkable manoeuvre drew a lot of attention, and it still stands out as a special accomplishment in the sport. According to Football365, Zerouali was able to get special clearance from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to wear the number zero on the back of his shirt so that he could pay homage to his nickname, “Zero.”
During the three seasons that he played for the Scottish club Aberdeen, Zerouali’s decision to wear the number zero was influenced by the fact that his nickname, which was taken from his surname, was “Zerouali.”
Zerouali persevered and made an unforgettable impact with his “0” shirt despite the initial displeasure from the Scottish Football Management, who subsequently prohibited the use of the number zero throughout all of their leagues.
In addition to his success in the English football league, Zerouali made seven appearances for the Morocco national team, during which time he scored three goals.
His bright career was cut tragically short at the age of 27 due to a catastrophic car accident that occurred in his home nation of Morocco in December of 2004. Tragically, the accident involved a car. Hicham Zerouali was a trailblazer who bucked convention and displayed originality through his choice of shirt number.
Unfortunately, he passed away far too soon, but his legacy will live on as a result of his actions. His one-of-a-kind jersey number continues to be a monument to the audacious nature of his character and serves as a reminder of the significant influence he had on the football field.
Rexford Dede Baah-Nyarkoh