<p>Manchester United's new midfielder Donny van de Beek has said he will wear the number 34 on his jersey as a tribute to former Ajax Amsterdam teammate Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after a heart attack in 2017.</p>.<p>Nouri, who also wore the number, made his senior debut in 2016-17 before his playing career ended prematurely after he suffered cardiac arrest in a pre-season friendly in Austria.</p>.<p>Despite being revived on the pitch and rushed to a hospital, Nouri suffered serious and permanent brain damage.</p>.<p>"This is a special thing for me because of my good friend Abdelhak Nouri," Van de Beek, who joined United from Ajax on a five-year contract on Wednesday, told the club's website.</p>.<p>"He had a heart attack... I'm really close with his family and his brother is one of my best friends and I talk a lot with them. So I decided to take his old number on my shirt and I want to get good memories with this number."</p>.<p>Another Ajax academy graduate, Phillippe Sandler, also chose the number 34 after joining Manchester City in 2018.</p>.<p>Thoughts of Nouri are never far away from Van de Beek, who previously paid tribute to his friend after scoring in the 34th minute of a Champions League victory at Juventus last year.</p>.<p>Ajax, who had continued to pay Nouri after the incident, formally cancelled his contract in March.</p>.<p>Dutch media reported at the time that the club were in talks with Nouri's family about a future solution for the player, who had been moved to a specially adapted room at home after years in hospital. </p>
<p>Manchester United's new midfielder Donny van de Beek has said he will wear the number 34 on his jersey as a tribute to former Ajax Amsterdam teammate Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after a heart attack in 2017.</p>.<p>Nouri, who also wore the number, made his senior debut in 2016-17 before his playing career ended prematurely after he suffered cardiac arrest in a pre-season friendly in Austria.</p>.<p>Despite being revived on the pitch and rushed to a hospital, Nouri suffered serious and permanent brain damage.</p>.<p>"This is a special thing for me because of my good friend Abdelhak Nouri," Van de Beek, who joined United from Ajax on a five-year contract on Wednesday, told the club's website.</p>.<p>"He had a heart attack... I'm really close with his family and his brother is one of my best friends and I talk a lot with them. So I decided to take his old number on my shirt and I want to get good memories with this number."</p>.<p>Another Ajax academy graduate, Phillippe Sandler, also chose the number 34 after joining Manchester City in 2018.</p>.<p>Thoughts of Nouri are never far away from Van de Beek, who previously paid tribute to his friend after scoring in the 34th minute of a Champions League victory at Juventus last year.</p>.<p>Ajax, who had continued to pay Nouri after the incident, formally cancelled his contract in March.</p>.<p>Dutch media reported at the time that the club were in talks with Nouri's family about a future solution for the player, who had been moved to a specially adapted room at home after years in hospital. </p>