When the Premier League introduced squad numbers for 1993-94, Everton assigned their number 26 shirt to teenage defender David Unsworth.
Having played twice in 1991-92 and five times in 1993-94, Unsworth made eight appearances in 1993-94 and then in the following campaign he established himself as a regular. He played in 38 of 42 league games and also starred as the Toffees won the FA Cup.
His consistent performances earned him an England call-up for the Umbro Cup, in which he wore number 15, while he was rewarded at club level with the number 4 shirt for 1995-96. Originally given to Ian Snodin for 1993-94, it was allocated to right-back Earl Barrett when he signed during 94-95 but he switched to 2 for the new campaign.
The number 4 had a good defensive heritage at Everton – captain Kevin Ratcliffe had worn it with distinction during the successes of the 1980s, with Peter Reid the most notable wearer of 6 in midfield.
While Unsworth remained a first-choice player over the next two campaigns, the summer of 1997 brought a switch as hejoined West Ham United in a swap deal with Danny Williamson.
Midfielder Williamson assumed the Everton number 4 shirt but, rather than taking the 20 which had been vacated at Upton Park, Unsworth was able to claim the number 6 at his new club.
While Unsworth played 41 times for the Hammers in 1997-98, the moved was tough on his domestic life. He sought to be closer to Merseyside and so, in the summer of 1998, he swapped one claret and blue number 6 shirt for another, joining Aston Villa.
Unfortunately for him, he never got to wear it in a competitive game. After a month or so of pre-season, it became clear that the travel arrangements involved in playing for Villa wouldn’t be suitable either. Everton stepped in to buy re-sign him, for the same £3m fee that Villa had paid West Ham.
In December 1997, Williamson had suffered a bad injury while playing for Everton. It ruled him out for the rest of the campaign and, as he was unlikely to appear in 1998-99, he was allocated number 25, with 4 given to new signing Olivier Dacourt.
That meant it was unavailable to Unsworth and instead he was handed his third number 6 shirt in the space of a year – the previous incumbent at Everton, Terry Phelan, was moved to 31.
Unsworth would keep number 6 for the entirety of his second spell at Goodison Park, even after the departure of Dacourt after just a season and that of his successor in 4, Richard Gough.
When Unsworth departed in 2004, he joined Portsmouth and was reunited with the number 4. Thereafter, he wore 16 at Ipswich Town, 24 and 3 for Sheffield United, 25 for Wigan Athletic, 26 for Burnley and 21 for Huddersfield Town.
