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Best Liverpool football shirts of all tiime
There aren't many more iconic shirts than the red of Liverpool. From the gleaming Umbro classics of the ‘70s to the bold adidas kits of the ‘80s and the Carlsberg shirts of the ‘90s, every Liverpool shirt tells a story and has a memory.
Over the years, we’ve spoken to hundreds of Liverpool fans, footballers and creatives about their favourite shirts. And every single person we spoke to remembers their first shirt.
From Jason McAteer, who still remembers the one his mum made by hand, to illustrators like Dave Will and Scott McRoy, each memory reveals why these shirts matter so much.
Based on those stories, we’ve pulled together the definitive list of the greatest Liverpool shirts ever made.
From Crown Paints to Carlsberg, from Umbro to adidas. These are the designs that define Liverpool through the decades.
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What is the greatest Liverpool shirt?
1995 Liverpool home shirt by adidas
I’d go for Liverpool’s home shirt from the 1995/96 season. It’s the one Stan Collymore had on when he scored THAT goal against Newcastle at the Kop end.
I remember being in two minds about the shirt when it came out in the summer of ’95 but I still went out and got it and slowly but surely grew to love it. Even now I deem it to be one of Liverpool’s smartest and most original shirts – that fat white cricket collar, the thick material and oversized badge. And again, the three Adidas stripes. It was also worn by one of Liverpool’s most exciting teams, and at a time when I was properly in love with football.
Who wore it: Robbie Fowler
Sachin Nakrani
1989 home shirt by adidas
Liverpool’s home shirt from the 1989/90 season. It’s iconic – the three Adidas stripes on the sleeves, the classically simple badge, the white flecks design and, most importantly, the shirt Liverpool last won the league title in.
I was eight-years-old when my parents got it for me from our local sports shop in north London and, if my mum is to be believed, I wore it constantly for about six months. I definitely do remember wanting to wear it as often as possible and to this day it remains one of my most cherished possessions.
Who wore it: John Barnes
Sachin Nakrani
1978 Liverpool shirt
A Liverpool shirt when I was eight years old that I got for Christmas. It reminds me of that amazing team that dominated English and European football along with Nottingham Forest, who I also really liked then.
Also reminds me of being glued to the TV in our house in Jersey when they were on, then spending the next few days pretending I played for them, either in our small garden kicking ball against the wall (or occasionally the patio door!), in the park, or on the beach.
The player I pretended to be most of the time was Kenny Dalglish. He was my absolute hero. It was surreal when I ended up playing for him, but I never did tell him I used to pretend I was him in my back yard!
Homemade Liverpool shirt by Jason McAteer’s mum
A Liverpool shirt, obviously! But it was no ordinary shirt. When I was growing up my family didn’t have the sort of money needed to buy me a kit, so my mum made me one. I remember her sitting there with her material and sewing machine and, while it wasn’t perfect, I was thrilled with it.
It was the full Liverpool kit – though the badge on it wasn’t the proper one. She sewed on a European Cup badge – it must have been all she could find – and while I didn’t love that, the kit was amazing.
Who wore it: Jason McAteer
Jason McAteer
1970s Liverpool shirt
I used to really like basic kits. The Liverpool kits from the 70s that Kevin Keegan wore were class! Now they’re all multi-coloured and it isn't quite the same.
Who wore it: Kevin Keegan
1989 Liverpool shirt by adidas
My first Liverpool shirt was the 89-91 shirt, Candy was the sponsor. It's one of those shirts that you can't help but picture John Barnes wearing as he glided across the pitch.
2 years later, the Reds switched sponsors to Carlsberg and I wasn't allowed a kit then for a long time as my parents weren't too happy about a 9 year old being a walking beer advert.
At the time I was distraught, but they were actually ahead of their time as it seems a common thing now for clubs to offer sponsor-less kids kits if their club sponsor is a little 'iffy.
Who wore it: John Barnes
Dave Will
1994 gold third kit by adidas
My first shirt was a fairly obscure Liverpool one from the 1994/95 season i got it for my birthday. it was our third kit, It was rarely seen gracing the pitch in top flight games, but i used to wear it everywhere, The V Neck collar was fairly big - and anyone who wore that away shirt was suitable prepared for adidas’ offering in the next season,
Who wore it: Steve McManaman
Scott McRoy
Hitachi Liverpool shirt by Umbro
When I was 7 I loved Kenny Dalglish. My parents bought me a Liverpool home shirt by Umbro. It had a ‘Hitachi’ sticker across the chest and a yellow Liver bird. It was an itchy, non-shiny material with a white V neck and cuffs. There were no shirt names then and number printing was 10-15 years away, but I would have chosen ‘7’.
Sheridan Bird
1985 home shirt with yellow trim
My first ever shirt comes from the 1985/86 season. It’s a Liverpool home shirt. A usual red and white number but there is this yellow trim on all the white stripes.
My memory of this yellow trim is quite profound – the sort of thing you don’t notice when you are five years old, watching a football team but when you inspect this sacred thing, this Christmas present you very much notice it. It’s the smallest detail but I remember the yellow more than any other thing about the Crown Paints kit.
Neil Atkinson (The Anfield Wrap)
2004 Istanbul Liverpool shirt
No list would be complete without the 2004 shirt worn by Liverpool in the Champions League final. The miracle of Istanbul. 3-0 down and to come back to win. If you see this shirt you remember that match.
Who wore it: Steven Gerrard
So that wraps up our list of the best ever Liverpool shirts are picked by players, writers and illustrators. Let us know what we've missed in the comments below and if you are looking for an authentic shirt browse our collection.
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