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JOHN STONES will wear Everton’s number five shirt next season - as Everton announced their squad numbers for 2015/16.

And Blues fans will hope his residence in the jersey is as enduring as some of the club’s other encumbents of that iconic shirt number.

Since the squad numbering system was introduced in 1993, just five other players have worn the number five shirt

Club legend Dave Watson wore number five for seven successive seasons, then when he hung up his boots David Weir took over for another seven seasons.

For 14 seasons, only two players wore number five.

He was succeeded by Joleon Lescott, then when he was sold to Manchester City Johnny Heitinga arrived from Atletico Madrid and was handed the squad number.

When he departed for Fulham in 2014 the number five jersey lay unclaimed until it was peculiarly picked up by striker Samuel Eto’o.

Now it is in back in the hands of a centre-half, the polished John Stones.

There are few other changes to next season’s squad numbers - new signings Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu have been handed 15 and 19 respectively, while a host of youngsters have also been awarded numbers.

2015/16 squad numbers

1. Joel Robles

2. Tony Hibbert

3. Leighton Baines

4. Darron Gibson

5. John Stones

6. Phil Jagielka

7. Aiden McGeady

8. Bryan Oviedo

9. Arouna Kone

10. Romelu Lukaku

11. Kevin Mirallas

14. Steven Naismith

15. Tom Cleverley

16. James McCarthy

17. Muhamed Besic

18. Gareth Barry

19. Gerard Deulofeu

20. Ross Barkley

21. Leon Osman

22. Steven Pienaar

23. Seamus Coleman

24. Tim Howard

27. Tyias Browning

29. Luke Garbutt

32. Brendan Galloway

35. Conor McAleny

36. Jindrich Stanek

38. Matthew Pennington

39. Conor Grant

40. Sam Byrne

42. Ryan Ledson

43. Jonjoe Kenny

45. Russell Griffiths

46. Joe Williams

48. Courtney Duffus

49. Antonee Robinson

50. Gethin Jones

51. Kieran Dowell

52. Liam Walsh

53. David Henen

54. Connor Hunt

55. Francisco Junior

56. Mateusz Hewelt