Why new Tottenham star James Maddison wore unusual shirt number during West Ham friendly

New Tottenham star James Maddison wore the shirt number 71 during the club's pre-season friendly against West Ham in Australia.

The fixture was Ange Postecoglou's first match in charge of Spurs, with the Australian having replaced interim boss Ryan Mason at the beginning of the month.

His first signing as Spurs boss was Maddison, who had shined for Leicester across several Premier League seasons.

The England international is expected to produce big things at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and be a key part in their charge towards a return to European football this term.

Such an influence would usually result in a shirt number of between two to 11, reflecting his significance on the team - unless, of course, he has a preferred shirt number over 11.

But supporters will have been surprised to see the attacking midfielder don the number 71 for Spurs in their opening friendly of pre-season against West Ham on Tuesday.

The fixture, which Tottenham lost 3-2, saw Maddison line up as part of a strong Spurs side which includes captain Harry Kane and new signings Manor Solomon, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario.

Solomon and Udogie also received high shirt numbers, wearing 72 and 73 respectively. And the reason why has been revealed.

Why Maddison is wearing Spurs shirt number 71

After confirming their pre-season squad last week, Spurs confirmed that Maddison, Solomon and Udogie would all be wearing 'temporary squad numbers' during pre-season.

All three players are yet to have their official numbers confirmed for next season, and it appears likely that the club could produce a separate announcement to supporters prior to kick-off on the opening day.

In a club statement, Spurs said: "During our tour fixtures, James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Destiny Udogie will wear temporary squad numbers of 71, 72 and 73 respectively.

"Supporters should note that the numbers worn by these players during pre-season may not be representative of their finalised squad numbers for 2023/24.

"We shall provide further information on this in due course. A reminder that all other squad numbers for existing players remain subject to change, with the full finalised list to be confirmed when the Club submits its final squad list to the Premier League prior to the opening weekend of the 2023/24 season."