How to spot a fake Liverpool shirt (with real photos)
Liverpool shirts have a habit of turning into instant classics. The adidas Candy shirts, Fowler and McManaman in Reebok, Gerrard in the flames crest, Salah in Nike red. Every era has at least one shirt fans will happily pay silly money for, and that's exactly why the counterfeiters love them too.
Liverpool is joint third in our Fake Shirt Checker with 29 shirts submitted, level with Arsenal. The good news: 76% were genuine or likely genuine. 10% were fake, and another 10% couldn't be called from the photos we were sent. Here's the bit that matters. Every Liverpool fake we saw was a recent shirt, and every one of them was caught by its labels, not its looks.
Liverpool have also been through a lot of kit makers since the early 90s, so there's a lot of detail to know. This guide takes you through four checks, era by era, using real genuine and fake examples from shirts submitted to our checker.
Browse our range of authentic Liverpool shirts here.
Is my Liverpool shirt fake? What you need to know about spotting a fake Liverpool jersey (the 30-second checklist)
- Crest: check it's the right crest for that era and that it's been applied the right way (embroidered, in a roundel, or heat-applied). A good fake copies the Liver bird well, so don't stop here.
- Maker's label and badges: match the neck label and hem badge to the kit maker. A modern LFC swing tag on a "1998" Reebok shirt means it's a retro release or a reproduction, not an original.
- Product code: the most reliable check. Find the small code label, Google the code and make sure it matches the swing tag. FN8798-688 is the genuine 2024/25 Nike home.
- Red-flag codes: CV7891-428, SU16 724614-100 and a generic "P95985 ADIDAS JSY" swing tag all turned up on Liverpool fakes.
- Printing: the name set, Premier League badges and special details must match the season. Salah is the most-faked name, so check the label before you trust the print.
- Want to skip the guesswork? Browse our hand-checked Liverpool shirts.
How to spot fake football shirts by brand
| adidas | Nike | General | All guides |
Which era is my Liverpool shirt?
Before you check anything, work out who made the shirt. Each kit maker used its own labels, and knowing which one you should be looking at is half the battle.
| Era | Maker | Key label to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1996 | adidas / adidas Equipment | adidas neck label with the chest size in inches |
| 1996–2006 | Reebok | "Liverpool F.C. / Reebok / Official Merchandise" crest label |
| 2006–12 | adidas | adidas neck print plus a small date/code tag |
| 2015–20 | New Balance | NB hologram tag or "Authentic" hem badge |
| 2020–25 | Nike | Nike product label with the style code |
| 2025– | adidas | Small date/code tag that matches the swing tag |
We didn't see any Warrior shirts (2012–15) in our checker, so they're not covered here.
1. Check the Liverpool crest
Start with the crest, but don't finish there. The job here is to check you've got the right crest for the era, applied the right way. Modern fakes copy the Liver bird really well, so a good-looking crest proves very little on its own.
Early 90s adidas. The full embroidered crest: Shankly gates, "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Est. 1892". The stitching should be dense and the edges clean, with no fuzzy outlines or loose threads.
Reebok era (1996–2006). The crest often sits inside an oval roundel, and the design is specific to the shirt. The 1997–99 yellow away is a good example.
GENUINE1989-91 Liverpool home (adidas Equipment).
GENUINE1993–95 home (adidas Equipment). Embroidered crest with Shankly gates and "Est. 1892".
GENUINE1997–99 away (Reebok). Crest inside an oval roundel.
GENUINE1992–93 away (adidas)
adidas 2006–12. The full-colour embroidered crest with the flames. Plenty of detail to get wrong, which makes it a handy check on shirts from this period.
Nike and adidas today. The main badge is the Liver bird with "L.F.C." underneath. Depending on the version it can be heat-applied or tonal, so don't panic if it isn't embroidered.
Honour badges. Official honour badges sit in a fixed spot next to the crest. The gold FIFA Club World Champions badge beside the crest on 2020/21 shirts is genuine. If a badge is in an odd place, or appears on a season it doesn't belong to, be suspicious.
GENUINE2006–08 home (adidas). Full-colour embroidered crest.
GENUINE2020/21 home (Nike). FIFA Club World Champions badge beside the crest.
Why the crest isn't enough. Look at the fake 2025/26 home below. The Liver bird is well copied, and at a glance you'd happily wear it to Anfield. It was the labels that gave it away, which is where we're heading next.
Authentic Liverpool
Shop authentic Liverpool shirts. Every one is hand-checked and guaranteed genuine:
1991/92 Liverpool adidas Home "Candy" (S)
Genuine adidas — £149.99
1997/99 Fowler #9 Liverpool Reebok Home (S)
Genuine Reebok — £129.99
2007/08 Gerrard #8 Liverpool adidas Away (XL)
Genuine adidas — £99.99
2010/12 Suarez #7 Liverpool adidas Home (XL)
Genuine adidas — £99.99
2. Check the manufacturer label and authenticity badges
Each Liverpool kit maker used its own neck labels and hem badges. Match the label to the era. If a vintage shirt has a label from the wrong period, or a shiny modern tag, treat it as a warning.
adidas 1992–93. A neck label with the three bars (no trefoil), "The brand with the three stripes" and the chest size in inches, for example 40"-42". The 1992/93 centenary home is a good reference.
adidas Equipment 1993–96. An "adidas Equipment" neck label, again with inch sizing, for example 46"-48".
GENUINE1992/93 centenary home. adidas three-bar label with 40"-42" sizing.
GENUINE1993–95 home. adidas Equipment neck label with 46"-48" sizing.
GENUINE1989 – 91 home. adidas neck label with 36"- 38" sizing.
Reebok 1996–2006. A combined label with the crest, "Liverpool F.C.", the Reebok logo and "Official Merchandise", plus a separate size tab such as 38"/40".
Careful with retro releases. If a Reebok-style crest label turns up on a brand-new shirt with a current LFC swing tag (QR code and hologram), it isn't a 1998 original. It's either a modern official retro release or a reproduction. Check the QR code and product code with LFC Retail, and don't pay 90s-original money for it.
GENUINE1997–99 away. Reebok "Official Merchandise" crest label and size tab.
CAUTIONReebok-style 1998 home with a modern LFC swing tag. A retro release or reproduction, not an original.
New Balance 2015–20. Look for a holographic "100% Authentic Product" hem tag with a unique serial number, or the "Fearlessly Independent – Authentic" hem badge.
GENUINE2018/19 home. New Balance hologram tag with a unique serial.
GENUINE2019/20 home. NB "Fearlessly Independent – Authentic" hem badge.
Nike 2020–25. Player versions carry a black "Engineered" hem badge with a unique serial, for example VB4528770R on a 2024/25 home. More on Nike details in our Nike fake guide.
adidas 2025 onwards. Here's the catch. The "Authentic Licensed Product" hem badge is already being copied, and the fake below carries a very tidy one. Don't treat the badge as proof. Check the product code instead (next section, and our adidas fake guide).
GENUINE2024/25 home player version. Nike "Engineered" badge with a serial.
FAKE2025/26 home. A copied adidas "Authentic Licensed Product" badge.
3. Check the product code and labels
If you only do one check, make it this one. Fakes almost never carry the correct product code, and all three Liverpool fakes submitted to our Fake Shirt Checker were caught by their labels. It's also the photo people most often forget to send.
Where to find it
- Nike (2020–25): the small white label on the inside left seam, near the hem.
- adidas (2006 onwards): a small date/code tag, usually next to the wash label. On the 2006–08 home it reads "04/07 · 053327 · AZB001". On the 2025/26 home it reads "11/25 · JV6445".
When you're buying second-hand, ask the seller for a clear close-up of this label. If they won't send one, that tells you something too.
What a genuine code looks like
Google the code. It should bring up that exact Liverpool shirt, and on a new shirt it should match the swing tag. Genuine codes from shirts in our checker:
- FN8798-688: 2024/25 home (Nike). It's on both the inner label and the swing tag, which is exactly what you want to see.
- DB2560-688: 2021/22 home (Nike).
- JV6445: 2025/26 home long-sleeve authentic (adidas), matching the swing tag description "LFC H JSY AU L".
GENUINE2024/25 home. Inner label reads FN8798-688.
GENUINE2021/22 home. DB2560-688, the correct LFC code.
GENUINE2025/26 home LS authentic. JV6445 on the swing tag and the inner tag
Red flag 1: a code that turns up on other teams' fakes
A "2024/25 home" listed for £9 came through our checker with the code CV7891-428. It isn't the Liverpool code (that's FN8798-688, above). Better still, we've found the exact same code on fake Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea and USA shirts. It's a counterfeit template that gets stitched into anything and everything. Once you know it, you'll spot it everywhere. (Read how it shows up in our Barcelona fake guide.)
Red flag 2: a code for a different product
A "2020/21 third" carried SU16 724614-100. SU16 is a 2016 season code, and 724614-100 belongs to a different white product entirely, not a Liverpool shirt. A 2016 code on a 2020 shirt is a giveaway on its own. We've seen the same label on a fake Barcelona 2011 final shirt.
FAKE"2024/25 home" at £9 with CV7891-428, a code we've seen on fakes of five teams.
FAKE"2020/21 third" with SU16 724614-100, a 2016 code for a different product.
Red flag 3: a generic swing tag
A 2025/26 Salah shirt arrived with a swing tag reading "P95985 ADIDAS JSY" and the barcode 4050267106256. Genuine adidas tags name the product, like "LFC H JSY AU". This generic tag has become a counterfeit favourite: we've found the exact same one on eight different fakes across seven teams, from Rangers to Real Madrid.
And here's the sting. That same fake had a perfectly copied adidas wash label, complete with the adidas International Trading address and RN#88387 CA#40312. The care label looked spot on. The code didn't. Always check the code, not just the care label.
FAKE2025/26 home. Generic "P95985 ADIDAS JSY" counterfeit swing tag.
CAUTIONThe same fake's copied adidas wash label. Labels can be faked, so always check the code.
Myth-buster: "Made in Georgia" doesn't mean fake
Genuine Nike Liverpool shirts are made in several countries, including Georgia, Thailand and Indonesia. Several people who used our checker had been told otherwise. The country of manufacture tells you very little. The product code tells you a lot.
4. Check the printing and player names
The name set has to match the season: the font, the Premier League badge, the sleeve patches and any special details. Fakes lean on the famous names, Salah above all, and hope you don't look any further.
Premier League name sets by era. Gerrard 8 on the 2006–08 home uses the older Premier League player-number badge. M.Salah 11 on the 2021/22 home has the current Premier League lion in the numbers. Rush 9 on the 1993–95 home has period block lettering. If the name set doesn't match the shirt's season, walk away.
GENUINE1999/01 away. Gerrard 28 with the period Premier League badge.
GENUINE2004/05 home. Gerrard 17 with the PL lion in the numbers.
Fake Salah prints. The fake 2025/26 M.Salah 11 below looks right at a glance. Clean print, the right badges, nothing obviously wrong. It was the swing tag that exposed it. Salah is the most-faked Liverpool name we see, so check the code first and admire the print second.
FAKE 2025/26 home, M.Salah 11. The print looks right; the swing tag exposed it.
GENUINE1993–95 home. Rush 9 in period lettering.
Genuine details worth knowing. Some real features catch people out because they look unusual:
- The "97" Hillsborough memorial at the back of the neck on 2024/25 shirts.
- The gold Premier League Champions 2019/20 sleeve badge on 2020/21 shirts. On a genuine shirt it feels rubberised. Several customers thought that was odd. It's how it's meant to feel.
- The gold "Bob Paisley" signature neck print on the 2019/20 New Balance home.
GENUINE2024/25 home. "97" memorial detail at the back of the neck.
GENUINE2020/21 home. Premier League Champions 2019/20 sleeve badge.
Price is a clue too. A "2024/25 home" listed for £9 turned out to carry the fake CV7891-428 code. New-season shirts sell close to retail, even second-hand. If it's a fraction of that, it's a fraction of a shirt.
Still not sure? Get your shirt checked
If you've been through the four checks and still can't call it, send it to our Fake Shirt Checker. Include clear photos of the crest, the maker's label, the print and, most importantly, the small product-code label. A single front photo was one of the main reasons a Liverpool check came back inconclusive, so the more angles the better.
Or skip the guesswork altogether. Every shirt at Football Shirt Collective is hand-checked before it's listed and photographed in detail, with 10+ photos per shirt, and we're rated Excellent on Trustpilot. Browse our authentic Liverpool shirts or our full range of football shirts.
FAQs
How can I tell if a Liverpool shirt is fake?
Run four checks. Make sure the crest is right for the era, match the neck label and hem badge to the kit maker (adidas, Reebok, New Balance or Nike), Google the product code on the small label inside and check it matches the swing tag, then confirm the name set and badges fit the season. The product code is the most reliable of the four.
Is my Liverpool shirt fake if it's made in Georgia or Thailand?
No. Genuine Nike Liverpool shirts are made in several countries, including Georgia, Thailand and Indonesia. The country of manufacture doesn't tell you whether a shirt is real. Check the product code instead.
Where is the product code on a Liverpool shirt, and what should it say?
On Nike Liverpool shirts (2020–25) it's on a small white label on the inside left seam, near the hem. On adidas shirts from 2006 onwards it's on a small date/code tag. The code should bring up that exact shirt when you search it and match the swing tag. For example, the genuine 2024/25 Nike home is FN8798-688.
My 2025/26 adidas shirt has an "Authentic" badge. Does that prove it's real?
No. The "Authentic Licensed Product" hem badge is already being copied on fakes. Check the swing tag and the product code: a genuine tag names the product (for example "LFC H JSY AU"), while fakes often carry a generic "P95985 ADIDAS JSY" tag.
Is a Reebok-era Liverpool shirt with a new LFC swing tag an original?
Almost certainly not. A Reebok-style shirt with a current LFC swing tag, QR code and hologram is a modern retro release or a reproduction, not a 1990s original. Check the code with LFC Retail and price it accordingly.
Why does the Premier League Champions badge on my 2020/21 shirt feel rubbery?
That's the genuine finish. The gold Premier League Champions 2019/20 sleeve badge on genuine 2020/21 shirts has a rubberised feel.
Are Football Shirt Collective's Liverpool shirts authentic?
Yes. Every shirt is hand-checked before listing and photographed in detail (10+ photos per shirt), and we're rated Excellent on Trustpilot. There are no fakes and no exceptions. Browse authentic Liverpool shirts here.
Want to learn more? Read our adidas and Nike fake guides, the Barcelona fake guide, or find every guide in our fake shirt guide directory.
