Here are those players that have worn the number 16 shirt in competitive games since squad numbers were brought into the Football League in the 1999/2000 season.
Lee Unsworth (Jul 99 – Jun 00)
The first player on the list is Unsworth who signed for the club from Ashton United in February 1995, making over 150 appearances for the club before leaving for Bury in the summer of 2000. He would also play for Hyde United, Leigh RMI, Chorley and Radcliffe Borough before retiring from playing in 2010. He would move into coaching during the back end of his playing days as an academy coach at Manchester United, where he works at the head coach of the Under-12 age group.
Rob Hulse (Jul 00 – Jun 02)
We looked at Hulse’s career in the number 9 column, he wore this number in his third and fourth full season with the first-team.
Efe Sodje (Jul 02 – Jun 03)
We looked at Sodje’s career in the number 12 column, he wore this number in his final season with the club.
Anthony Tonkin (Jul 03 – Jun 05)
We looked at Tonkin’s career in the number 3 column, he wore this number in his first two seasons with the club in his 3-year spell.
Richard Walker (Jul 05 – Jun 06)
We also looked at Walker’s career in the number 3 column, he wore this number in his final season with the club.
Ryan Lowe (Jul 06 – Jun 08)
We looked at Lowe’s career in the number 7 column, he wore this number in his first spell with the club.
Jake Livermore (Jul 08 – Jan 09)
England international Livermore joined the club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008 but broke his leg during his only appearance for the club, a pre-season friendly at Wrexham. He would also play for Derby County, Peterborough United, Ipswich Town, Leeds United and Hull City (all on loan from Spurs) before joining Hull permanently in the summer of 2014. He would join his current club West Bromwich Albion in January 2017.
James Bailey (Jul 09 – Jun 10)
Academy graduate Bailey would make his debut for the club in December 2007 and would make 55 appearances for the club before moving to Derby for over £1m in the summer of 2010. He would also play for Coventry City on loan twice, Barnsley, Indian side Pune City, Ottawa Fury of Canada before returning to England to finish his career at Carlisle United and Yeovil Town, retiring early last year.
Jordan Connerton (Jul 10 – Jun 12)
Connerton joined the club in early 2010 from Lancaster City but spent most of his time with the club out on loan at Lancaster, Nantwich Town, IBV of Iceland, Kendal Town and Workington before joining the latter permanently in Match 2012. He would also play for Kendal in 3 more spells, Lancaster twice more, Chorley and Australian side Craigeburn City (where he’d score 70 in just 20 league appearances).
Jon Guthrie (Jul 12 – Jun 14)
We also looked at Guthrie’s career in the number 3 column, he wore this number first two full seasons with the club.
John Johnston (Jul 14 – Jun 15)
Johnston joined the club from Leek Town in January 2014 but wouldn’t make a senior appearance for the Alex, spending time out on loan at Leek and Alfreton Town, joining the latter permanently the following January. He would also play for Salford City on loan in a move that became permanent in early 2016 before a loan spell at Nantwich Town the following winter. Altrincham was his next destination for a move in the summer of 2017 before joining his current club Chester in January 2020.
Adam King (Jul 15 – Jan 16)
King joined the club on loan from Swansea City in the summer of 2015 and would make 26 appearances for the club in the 6 months he had at the Alexandra Stadium. He would also play for Southend United, Mansfield Town and Peterborough United (all on loan from the Swans) before joining current club Dundee United last summer.
Jordan Bowery (Jan 17 – Jun 17)
We looked at Bowery’s career in the number 10 column, he wore this number during his loan spell with the club.
Tom Lowery (Jul 17 – present)
The final player on his list is midfielder Lowery who made his debut for the club in October 2016 and has already made over 100 appearances for the club. Like most of the current squad, it’ll be interesting to see whether he can make the step up in league next season.
