New Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio to wear No 11 this season as No 1 is left vacant after Carl Ikeme's retirement

New Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio will wear No 11 this season after the club opted to leave the traditional No 1 free following the retirement of Carl Ikeme.

Newly-promoted Wolves officially confirmed their Premier League squad numbers on Friday, with Patricio taking 11 and fellow first-team goalkeepers John Ruddy and Will Norris retaining their respective 21 and 31 shirts.

Former No 1 Ikeme announced his retirement from professional football last month following a year-long battle with acute leukaemia.

The 32-year-old made over 200 appearances in 18 years at Molineux and called it quits on the advice of his doctor, citing the 'toll the treatment has taken on my body'.

'I want to be here for my children, family and friends,' he said. 'In the grand scheme of things with my life in danger, it's the minimum price I have to pay to spend the rest of my time with my family.'

Portuguese international Patricio wore a blank No 11 shirt during pre-season at Wolves after arriving from Sporting Lisbon, where he was the long-term No 1.

The decision to give it to him on a full-time basis drew plenty of reaction on social media, with one supporter stating: 'Touch of class that no keeper is wearing the number 1 shirt and personally I like number 11 for our keeper.'

Another wrote: 'A keeper wearing 11 hurts my eyes, but touch of class from the Wolves roll on tomorrow.'

Meanwhile, record signing Adama Traore will don the same No 37 he wore at Middlesbrough and deadline-day arrival Leander Dendoncker is set to wear 32.

Fellow newcomers Joao Moutinho and Jonny have been allocated 28 and 19 respectively, while new striker Raul Jimenez is trusted with the No 9.

Helder Costa switches from 17 to the 10 previously adorned by Joe Mason as teenage midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White takes his old number.

Academy graduate Bright Enobakhare moves from 26 to 14, the shirt that used to belong to Michal Zyro.

Boosted by a strong summer in the transfer market, Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves open their first top-flight campaign since 2012 at home to Everton on Saturday evening.

Dailymail