MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Wearing the iconic number seven shirt adorned by Manchester United greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham, Mason Mount became the club’s first signing of the off-season on Wednesday.

And upon completion of his 55 million pounds ($69 million) transfer from Chelsea, the 24-year-old midfielder declared his intention to emulate United’s stars of the past.

“I am hugely ambitious; I know how amazing it feels to win major trophies and what it takes to do it,” Mount said. “I will be giving everything to experience that again at Manchester United.”

The number seven has been worn by some of United’s greatest players including 1960s icon George Best, Bryan Robson, who was dubbed ‘Captain Marvel’ in the 80s and 90s; and Eric Cantona, who inspired the start of the club’s near 20-year dominance of English football in 1990s and 2000s.

Beckham and Ronaldo are global icons that have transcended the sport, as well as winning football’s biggest prizes.

In other words, it is a big shirt to fill.

Not that United thinks that will be a problem for a player who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and has established himself as an England regular.

“Mason is an extremely intelligent footballer and has so many fantastic technical qualities that will significantly add to our squad,” United football director John Murtough said. “We have admired his talents for a long time, so we are delighted that he has chosen to take the next steps in his career here at Old Trafford.”

The number seven shirt has been vacant since Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in acrimony last November when his contract was terminated following an incendiary interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised United’s ownership and manager Erik ten Hag.

In handing Mount the shirt, Ten Hag made it clear how important he believes his signing will be to the club’s attempts to return to the summit of English football after 10 years without the league title.

“His style of play and attributes are a perfect fit for this squad, and we all believe that he will only improve further working with Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff,” Murtough said. “Mason himself is a world-class player but he also has the ability to improve the players around him through his game intelligence and tactical awareness.”

While the number seven has been worn by United’s greats, it has also weighed heavily on many players – particularly since Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009.

Antonio Valencia, Angel di Maria, Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez all struggled to live up to the expectation that comes with wearing it.