"Could it be a shield, where their debut gets a small shield, 50 games gets a bigger one, 100's even bigger, and so on? When we used to play, you used to get a plate or a plaque, and you'd be presented with it before the game.
"But what better way to do it than this? A lot of the lads take their shirts home. If they've got one with that number on, when they look through their collection, they'll always remember that. When Sven Botman scored on his 100th appearance, wearing that shirt, he'll probably go, 'oh, yeah, I scored in that game'. He'll remember that."
Weatherstone and the rest of Eddie Howe's coaching staff wanted to find a way of highlighting the achievements of players who have reached landmarks in black and white, be that their first game or 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 appearances. He explains that every player to have started a league game for the club has been assigned a "legacy number", with each one listed on a wall at the training centre. The next player to line up in the Premier League for the first time will be number 969.
But they also wanted "something more personal" to mark the achievements of those who have made more significant contributions, in both service and minutes. They settled on the addition of a small, gold number denoting the milestone on the chest of the home kit - it will be white on the green away kit, and orange on the navy third strip - and, uniquely, that shirt would be worn by the player in the relevant fixture. "It's just about finding something to give back to the lads, so they feel proud as well," he adds.
Weatherstone mentions Botman, who wore a shirt with the number 100 during the Premier League game against Brentford at St. James' Park in February. He became the first player to score while wearing one of the shirts in the eventual 3-2 defeat.
"I'm normally a guy who, not every game, but I swap shirts. But this one is in my closet," says the Dutchman, who joined in 2022. Swapping shirts is commonplace; players are typically given two shirts per game. "I've kept that one.
"First of all, I think it’s a nice gesture - it’s a nice gesture, and a nice symbol, that you have it on your shirt. This makes the game a bit more special than any other game. When you go in the dressing room and you see the number on your shirt, you just feel proud really."
The 26-year-old isn't the type to reflect too deeply on such landmarks. "Or maybe, only really quickly," he says. "But just the moment of realising that you've made so many appearances for the club… that's a really good moment."
In recent years, football shirts have become big business. Replica and retro tops have always held popularity and interest in match worn shirts, kept by players and sought by collectors, is on another level. They are often bought and sold for thousands of pounds.
During the playing days of the majority of the coaching staff, players would generally given a long sleeved and short sleeve shirt to last a season. "And then at the end of the season, you'd pray that you'd be allowed to take your shirts home!" Weatherstone smiles. "But now they keep their own shirts.
"Another reason why we do it is it makes those shirts a bit more unique and rare. We like that side of it, the uniqueness of it. I think we're the first to do it in terms of that. I know other teams have their legacy numbers on the back of their shirts - Tottenham do, I think. But this is about recognising a player who's reached those milestones, because it's such a hard thing to do.
"Professional football is a hard game. Making one appearance, or 50 appearances and onwards… we've got some players who've played 250 for the club in all competitions which is incredible, and they should be recognised for that."
It is also about holding a mirror up to players' achievements while they're still playing, rather than waiting for retirement. "It's a short career. It's the memories for me - it's all about the memories," Weatherstone adds. "I think everyone should know if someone's making their first appearance, or 50th, 100th, 150th, 200th. The longevity of a football player now at a club is probably shorter than it used to be. To have lads who've reached 250 is incredible and they should be remembered for that. Putting it on their shirts is the best way we found we could do that, and they would know what that means if they frame it or pull it out of the closet."
It is a concept that has been rolled out throughout the club; Newcastle United Women have adopted the idea too, with Beth Lumsden marking her 50th appearance by wearing the shirt - and scoring - in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town earlier this month. Academy graduates making their debuts - as Sean Neave did at Qarabağ last week - are instructed to give their shirt to kit manager Ray Thompson after the game so the number one can be pressed onto it and returned to them as a memento.
The first player to wear one of the numbered shirts in a game was Fabian Schär, who reached 250 games by featuring in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in January. The former Switzerland international was signed by Rafa Benítez in 2018. He is currently the 24th longest-serving player in the Premier League, and the second longest-serving at St. James' Park behind Jacob Murphy. That is clearly a source of contention for him and he pleads a technicality. "I don't know how he counts, you know. Jacob was here before me. But he was on loan for - I think, I asked him the other day - one-and-a-half years! He signed a year before me. So technically, I'm longer at the club. Other people have to see that!” he jokes. Maybe it is a good time to have that debate, with Murphy having made his 250th appearance at Manchester City on Saturday? "Well, I reached it before him!"
The 34-year-old says he has never been a prolific shirt swapper either. He has always felt "a bit stupid" doing it. He swapped with Iker Casillas once as a young player at Basel and has exchanged with friends or international teammates but isn't particular about it. He has about 25 special shirts hanging in his gym at home, including the one from the Palace game. "And it's definitely a shirt I would not give away."
Schär says it was "a lovely gesture" and made him ponder the transient nature of his profession. "For me, it was like, '******* hell, 250 games - I achieved that', and was able to do that with this great club. It's unbelievable. It makes you proud, and it's a very, very nice thing.
"Football goes so quickly, you know? You're quick to forget as well. You win something, then later you have a game and everyone's forgotten about the last game, and you have to carry on. It's tough. You always have to deliver again, deliver again, then achieve something. You have maybe a night to enjoy the moment, then you have to deliver again, basically. But small things like this, for me personally, I appreciate it a lot. For me, it was very special."
The centre back is recovering from surgery on the ankle injury he suffered against Leeds United last month, on his 251st outing for Newcastle. "To be fair," he adds, "if I get the chance to play 50 more games to get 300, that will be even more special."
There is a motivational aspect to the idea, Weatherstone says. "If you’re three games away from 50, or 100, or 150, it gives you desire to want to break through that." Sometimes, as with Kieran Trippier's milestone at City on Saturday, there is a coincidental circularity. "His game will be Manchester City away. That was his team where he came through as a kid, and he'll be making his 150th appearance for Newcastle there."
Winger Murphy arrived at St. James' Park in 2017, a year before Schär. It is only fair to give the 30-year-old the right of reply to his Swiss teammate's earlier claims and he considers his words for a moment. "Well he's a defender, isn't he, so defenders usually get longer runs in the team," he says, laughing heartily. "We're equal now!"
His 250th outing at the Etihad came on the same night as Trippier reached his own milestone. He is a "big fan" of the special shirts and plans to frame his. "I'll always have a piece of history there, an achievement that we can have as a keepsake."
In the midst of a chaotic campaign, there is little time to enjoy each achievement. But to Murphy, a Newcastle United fan with well-documented family ties to the area, there is deep meaning behind the latest addition to his collection of shirts.
"We had the game on Saturday night, Sunday was a day of catching up on rest, Monday you're preparing for a game and on Tuesday, hopefully I'll be making my 251st appearance. The moment is gone almost immediately. Being able to have the shirt and remembering the moment, that's special.
"You try, as best as possible, to live in the moment. But with how fast-paced this schedule is, you have no time to think about what's happening in the next hour, never mind what's happening in the current," he says. "But this happened. And no-one can take that away from me now."
