“Old fashioned number nine”
/oʊld ˈfæʃənd ˈnʌmbə naɪn/
noun · soccer
Definition
A classic striker who holds up play, wins headers and cares about one thing only: scoring goals. No fancy passes, no defensive work. Just goals.
Origin
Goes back to when jersey numbers directly mapped to positions. The #9 was always the big, physical center forward who lived in the opposition's penalty box.
Used in a sentence
"Do they have anyone up front?" "Yeah, a proper old fashioned number nine. Doesn't do much but comes alive in the box."
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