Here are those players that have worn the number 27 shirt in competitive games since squad numbers were brought into the Football League in the 1999/2000 season.
Steve Hoult (Jul 99 – Jun 00)
Midfielder Hoult would be the first player to wear the number but wouldn’t make a first-team appearance after coming through the Academy. He would also have spells at Rhyl and Prestatyn Town.
Gareth Liddle (Jul 00 – Jun 01)
Midfielder Liddle also came through the Academy and made just one appearance for the club before leaving in the summer of 2001.
Marc Richards (Aug 01 – Sep 01)
Striker Richards joined the club on loan from Blackburn Rovers, making 5 appearances in his 1-month loan. He would also play for Oldham Athletic, Halifax Town, Swansea City, Northampton Town for 2 spells, Rochdale, Barnsley, Port Vale, Chesterfield, Swindon Town and Cambridge United before joining current club Yeovil Town in January this year.
Graham Barrett (Sep 01 – Oct 01)
Striker Barrett would join the club on loan from Arsenal following Richards going back to Blackburn, he would make 4 appearances in his month at the club. He would also play for Colchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday, Livingston, Falkirk, St. Johnstone and Shamrock Rovers before retiring in 2010.
Adam Yates (Jul 02 – Jun 04)
Right-back Yates would also graduate from the Academy without making a first-team appearance in his two seasons as a professional (spending time in his second season on loan at Halifax). He would also play for Leek Town, Morecambe, Burton Albion, Port Vale, Northampton Town and Macclesfield Town before retiring in March 2018 through injury. He now works as a radio pundit for Radio Stoke as a co-commentator for Port Vale games.
Lloyd McGowan (Jul 04 – Jun 05)
Midfielder McGowan would also come through the Academy without making an appearance for the first-team although some of that might have been due to drug problems (as mentioned in a Channel 4 Despatches program back in September 2011).
Kyle Wilson (Jul 05 – Jun 06)
Forward Wilson is another Academy grad to turn professional, making a couple of appearances before being released in the summer of 2006 (he would spend time on loan at Altrincham during his final season with the club). He would also play for Barrow, Droylsden, FC United of Manchester, Macclesfield Town, Hyde, Chester, Bangor City, Nantwich Town, Witton Albion and Conwy Borough before retiring in the summer of 2015.
Pavol Suhaj (Jul 06 – Jun 07)
Slovakian striker Suhaj would join the club in the summer of 2005, making 8 appearances across his two seasons at the club. He would join Nantwich Town for a spell before returning to his homeland to play for Mesto Prievidza, Odeva Lipany, Skalka Zabnica and Rosina.
Ryan Lynch (Jul 07 – Jun 08)
Left-back Lynch joined the club from Coventry City in the summer of 2007, making 3 appearances for the club in his only season with the club, that saw him on loan at Stafford Rangers and Altrincham. He retired after his spell with the Alex due to knee injuries.
Clayton Donaldson (Jul 08 – Jun 09)
We looked at Donaldson’s career in the number 7 column, he wore this number in his first season with the club.
Harry Worley (Jul 09 – Jun 10)
Defender Worley joined the club on loan from Leicester City, making 24 appearances in his season with the club. He would also play for Oxford United, Newport County, Stevenage, Hartlepool United and Salford City before retiring in the summer of 2016.
Lewis Short (Jul 10 – Jun 11)
Midfielder Short was signed from Alsager Town in the summer of 2010 without making an appearance in his single season with the club. He would go on to play for Northwich Victoria, Nantwich Town in two spells, Airbus UK, Connah’s Quay, Altrincham, Bala Town, Leek Town and Chorley before joining current club Newtown last summer.
Wes Fletcher (Nov 11 – Jan 12)
Striker Fletcher joined the club on loan from Burnley for a 6-week loan, making 6 appearances for the club. He would also play for Yeovil Town, York City, Motherwell and The New Saints before joining current club Chorley in the summer of 2018.
Ryan Colclough (Jul 12 – Jan 16)
Winger Colclough was promoted to the first-team squad as he made 68 appearances for the club before leaving for Wigan Athletic in January 2016 for an undisclosed fee. He would spend time on loan at MK Dons in the 16/17 season before joining current club Scunthorpe United in the summer of 2018.
Owen Dale (Jul 16 – Jun 17)
We looked at Dale’s career in the number 19 column, he wore the number in his first season with the first-team squad.
Sam Stubbs (Jul 17 – Jan 18)
Defender Stubbs joined the club on loan from Wigan, making 8 appearances in the 6 months he had at the club. He would also play for AFC Fylde before joining current club Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018 without making an appearance yet, although he has spent time on loan at Notts County, Hamilton Academical and Dutch side ADO Den Haag.
Will Jaaskelainen (Jul 18 – Jun 19)
We looked at Jaasklelainen in the number 1 column, he wore this number in his second season with the club.
Sam Booth (Jul 19 – Jun 20)
Goalkeeper Booth came through the Academy set-up with the club before being released in the summer of 2019. He re-joined the Alex as cover for Dave Richards as Jaaskelainen was called up for international duty but played most of the season for Sandbach United as their first-choice keeper.
