Bellamy gets number 10 shirt

Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy has been rewarded for his efforts last season by being handed the number 10 shirt for the new campaign.

The 22-year-old Welshman was given number 17 when he arrived at St James’ Park last summer.

But having scored 14 goals and made a major impact, manager Sir Bobby Robson was keen for the striker to swap numbers as a reflection of his importance to his first-choice XI.

He will now line up in a 9-10 partnership with skipper Alan Shearer, with Argentinian midfielder Christian Bassedas, who wore 10 last year, taking 17.

Bassedas spent much of the last campaign at Tenerife and seems likely to leave Tyneside sooner rather than later, although a proposed swap deal with the Spanish side’s Argentinian defender Federico Lussenhoff is yet to be agreed.

Meanwhile, new £8.5m (€13.3m) signing Hugo Viana will wear the number 45 shirt, no reflection of his relative importance to the squad – but the same as he wore for Sporting Lisbon last season.

And there was a boost for highly-rated 17-year-old goalkeeper Adam Collin, who has been given the number 33 as Robson looks to provide cover for senior keepers Shay Given and Steve Harper, with Dutchman John Karelse having struggled with injury during the last campaign.