Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham are just three names synonymous with the number,

but Beckham had a nightmare start to life in his first season wearing it in the 1997 Charity Shield win against Chelsea ahead of the new season.

While Beckham’s role that day was small, coming off the bench in the 72nd minute, he became the major talking point after the match as his name was misspelled ‘Beckam’ on the back of his white shirt.

While many fans were no doubt amused by the mishap, one member of the Red Devils’ bench was left with a red-face as he watched the midfielder enter the field.

Kitman Albert Morgan, who held the position at Old Trafford for 20 years before his retirement in 2013, insists that he was not responsible for the infamous wardrobe malfunction.

Speaking to talkSPORT at the premiere of ’99’, a new documentary on United’s treble-winning 1998/99 season, Morgan laughed as he recalled: “That wasn’t me, I’m not taking the rap for that!”

He revealed that the spelling error was actually the fault of a supplier who had misspelled the global icon’s name while printing it onto the back of the famous jersey.

He added: “We used to subcontract the shirts out then, to people.

“I used to take two long sleeves and two short sleeves for every player. So you’ve got, like, 30 players in the squad and so I used to take 120 shirts. Outfield player shirts.

“And that day I just happened to pick this shirt with the ‘H’ missing [from his surname].

And Morgan admitted Beckham, who was also present at the red-carpet event, hasn’t forgotten the fashion faux pas.

He joked: “I’ve still not heard the last of it off Becks because he’s still got the shirt apparently!”

The six-time Premier League champion has also spoken about the mishap, and admitted he had not spotted the spelling mistake before stepping onto the pitch.

Appearing on ClassicFootballShirts’ ‘Career in Shirts’ YouTube series in 2023, Beckham said: “That was Albert Morgan, the kitman,” he said when asked who was responsible. “That was one of his mistakes – his only mistake.”

When asked if he had found the incident funny, Beckham replied: “No, not at all. It’s not hard to spell my name!”

Beckham had been wearing no.10 in the previous season but lost it when the club signed Teddy Sheringham.
Beckham’s iconic no. 7 jersey mishap at the 1997 Charity Shield match against Chelsea will forever be remembered as a hilarious wardrobe malfunction. Despite his minimal role in the game, coming off the bench in the 72nd minute, the misspelled ‘Beckam’ on the back of his shirt stole the spotlight. Kitman Albert Morgan, the innocent bystander in this mishap, recently set the record straight, revealing that it was actually a supplier error that led to the embarrassing typo.In a comical twist of fate, Beckham still teases Morgan about the blunder, claiming he still has the misspelled shirt in his possession. Even during a red-carpet event, the football superstar couldn’t resist poking fun at the unforgettable gaffe. Reflecting on the incident in a light-hearted manner, Beckham jokingly blamed the entire mishap on Morgan, claiming it to be the kitman’s one and only mistake in his 20-year career at Old Trafford.Despite the humorous aftermath of the misspelled jersey, the incident serves as a reminder of the meticulous attention to detail required in professional sports. Beckham, known for his perfectionism both on and off the field, took the typo in stride but made it clear that such errors are not easily forgiven. As he candidly shared in a recent interview, Beckham was quick to point out that spelling his name correctly should not have been a difficult task.As fans continue to reminisce about the memorable blunder, it remains a testament to the unpredictable nature of sports and the humorous moments that often arise. While Beckham may have temporarily lost the ‘H’ in his name that day, his impact on the football world remains unblemished. Stay tuned for more captivating stories and exclusive insights as we delve into the fascinating world of sports.