OMNISPORT

Juventus has announced superstar midfielder Paul Pogba will follow in the footsteps of Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio by wearing the club's iconic number 10 shirt.

The France international was handed his new shirt number on Thursday after it became free following the departure of Carlos Tevez to Boca Juniors.

As well as Platini and Baggio, Pogba will also look to emulate the success enjoyed by Alessandro Del Piero, who won a host of honors at Juve with 10 on his back.

Pogba - who has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City during the close season - previously wore the number six, but has changed to 10 having met the "phenomenon" status set out by president Andrea Agnelli last month.

"If anything, shirt numbers are important from a commercial perspective - the number 10 has always made people dream, it’s the shirt that the kids want," Agnelli told Tuttosport in July. "However, it's a shirt that we must find a player with certain characteristics for, a phenomenon.

"Especially when we're talking about the number 10 of Juventus."

Commenting on his new number, Pogba said: "It's an honor to wear the number 10 shirt after so many great Juventus players of the past."