The European Championship finals loom on the horizon, which of course means it is time for a new set of England football kits. There was an era when the national team would wear the same designs for several tournaments in a row. The enduringly popular Umbro shirt Paul Gascoigne blew his nose on in 1990 was worn again for Euro 1992, just as the same plain white and red strips sufficed between 1966 and 1974, albeit in lightweight form for four games in Mexico.
But since Euro 1996 every new tournament has brought a new pair of kits and Nike has predictably opted to continue that tradition for Germany 2024. Generally designers keep it tight with the home and play some shots with the away and that is the method Nike has followed here. “An instant classic” is one verdict, which was posted by the @England account on X. Not really your place to say, @England, leave that to us kit nerds.
A welcome return to tradition – of sorts
Shades of 1986, the summer of Gary Lineker’s golden boot, with the home, both with its red sleeve trim and generous collar. The nitpickers will fixate on the latter and the hefty panels down the sides, but few will be furious about a return to a more traditional colour palette and design after the more adventurous navy-sky blue fade across the shoulders of the World Cup 2022 home shirts.
There is a St George’s Cross snuck on the back of the collar although the traditionalists will not enjoy the decision to make its horizontal stripe blue and purple for reasons which are yet to be made clear.
