What Number Will Andy Robertson Wear at Tottenham? The Shirt Number Question Explained

Andy Robertson is officially a Tottenham Hotspur player, but the one detail nobody can confirm yet is his shirt number. The Scotland captain joins on a free transfer when his Liverpool contract expires on 30 June 2026, and Spurs’ announcement video pointedly spelt out his name with no number attached. The reason is simple: his beloved No. 26 has effectively been off-limits in N17 for over a decade.

Here is everything we know about which number Robertson is likely to pull on for the 2026/27 season, and why his favourite digit is the one squad slot Tottenham have been reluctant to hand out.

The No. 26 problem

Robertson has worn No. 26 for nearly his entire career. He took it at Dundee United purely because it was the only number free when he arrived, and it stuck through his Hull City and Liverpool years — all nine seasons at Anfield. He has since attached personal meaning to it, noting that his son was born on the 26th.

At Tottenham, though, the number carries a different weight. No Spurs outfield player has been permitted to wear No. 26 since club legend Ledley King retired in 2012. King wore it across his entire one-club career and remains one of the most revered figures in the club’s modern history. The number was never formally retired, but the club has quietly kept it vacant out of respect — which leaves Robertson’s sentimental first choice looking unlikely.

The numbers actually available to Robertson

With 26 off the table, several lower, more traditional full-back numbers are open. Based on which shirts went unworn during the 2025/26 campaign, these are his realistic options:

Of these, No. 3 — the classic left-back number Robertson wears for Scotland — would be the romantic pick, though its availability depends on the club’s existing left-side options. The cleaner, more probable outcomes are No. 2, No. 5 or No. 12, all of which sat empty last season and would slot a senior signing straight into a tidy single-digit or low number.

Why the shirt number matters for shirt sales

For supporters planning to print “ROBERTSON” on the back of a 2026/27 home shirt, the number is not a trivial detail — it is the difference between a shirt that ages well and one that needs replacing the moment the squad list is published. Clubs typically confirm numbers in pre-season, often only when the full retained-and-released list is finalised, so anyone desperate to personalise early is taking a small gamble.

If you want to get a head start on Spurs gear while the number is sorted, browse the current range: the Mens Tottenham Hotspur 2024/25 training jersey and shorts is a popular everyday option, with a matching kids Tottenham 2024/25 training set for younger fans. There is also a 2023/24 Tottenham training kit still in stock for collectors of recent seasons.

Robertson’s World Cup angle

The shirt-number debate also feeds into a bigger 2026 story. Robertson captains Scotland, and his move south is partly framed around staying sharp for a major-tournament summer. Whatever number he settles on at club level, he will wear the armband and the familiar No. 3 for his country. You can keep up with every national-team release on our 2026 World Cup kit tracker, and shop confirmed national shirts in the 2026 World Cup collection.

The likely verdict

Sentiment says No. 26; tradition at Spurs says he will not get it. The smart money is on Robertson taking a tidy low number — most plausibly No. 2, No. 5 or No. 12 — with the club expected to confirm the choice during pre-season. Until the official squad list lands, treat any “leaked” number doing the rounds with caution.