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He signed to be a backup behind Thibaut Courtois, but Asmir Begovic is going to be Chelsea's number 1 in a more literal way. The newest Blue has been given the shirt number vacated by Petr Cech following the veteran goalkeeper's move to Arsenal:
.@thibautcourtois will remain No. 13 with @asmir1 taking the vacant number No.1 shirt... #CFC pic.twitter.com/pE8Cjxtwti
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 13, 2015
Shirt numbers don't matter much at all, but it'll be very strange to see someone who isn't Cech putter about wearing the number the big man did during his decade-plus stay at the club. For a while, letting him go to Arsenal has seemed like a very strange dream, the sort of implausible misfortune that fades away slowly once you wake up. And for some reason, Begovic getting his shirt number has crystallised that departure into dreary reality.
You have a lot to live up to with that number, Asmir. When you get a chance to play, do it justice!