TEN OF THE MOST VALUABLE FOOTBALL SHIRTS EVER (that you could actually own)

If you’re reading this blog post, you’ll know better than most that collecting football shirts can be an expensive hobby.

Gone are the days when you could easily snap up an early 90s classic for a few quid. The cost of kits has significantly increased in recent years as demand for jerseys has rocketed.

Who would have predicted that Diego Maradona’s hand of god shirt, which sat in the National Football Museum for nearly 20 years, would sell for more than £7 million?

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of ten of the most valuable/expensive football shirts in the market. If you’ve got one of these in the loft, you might want to dig it out sharpish.

 

1) Holland, 1988

Why is it so special?

Don’t say iconic, don’t say iconic, don’t say iconic… this is truly one of the most iconic shirts in football history. Whoops. But it’s true – the weird arrow design shouldn’t really work but it just does. The players who wore it weren’t keen on it – Ruud Gullit said they thought it looked like they were wearing fish scales. But time has turned this into a Dutch masterpiece. Fun fact: the template is called ‘the Ipswich’.

Expect to pay: £750

 

2) Bruised banana, 1991-93

 

Why is it so special?

As the 80s drew to a close, Adidas released the handbrake and experimented with some bold patterns and colours. While United were kitted out in an Aztec-style blue and white, and Liverpool glistened in silver, Arsenal got the bruised banana. Great kits often become so because of the achievements of the players who wore them – that’s not the case with this one, though. Arsenal finished fourth and tenth in the two seasons it was used, and were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by Wrexham while wearing their change strip.  

Expect to pay: £350-£400

 

3) AC Milan centenary shirt, 1999/2000

 

Why is it so special?

The Rossoneri’s centenary season was a bigger anti-climax than the signing of Gianluigi Lentini, as reigning champions Milan finished third in the league and exited Europe early. The highlight of a lacklustre campaign though was their shirt. Based on the jersey the club wore in its maiden season, it features narrow stripes and a crest featuring the cross of St Ambrose, the patron saint of the city of Milan.

Expect to pay: £400-£500

 

4) Real Madrid, 2002/03

 

Why is it so special?

On 23 April 2003, Ronaldo – the original Ronaldo – delivered one of the greatest performances of his career (just think about that statement for a moment) scoring a Champions League hat-trick so sublime that even the Manchester United fans stood in appreciation. Real Madrid wore all black that night – elegant and understated, it was worthy of the occasion and the stars that donned it.

Expect to pay: £175

 

5) Club America, 1994/95

 

Why is it so special?

It’s a commonly accepted fact that Club America don’t do bad shirts. They just don’t. This one from 1994 might just be their finest ever. The template was also used for Germany and River Plate but the colours on the Club America version make this the best of the lot.

Expect to pay: £300-£400

 

6) Juventus 1997/98

 

Why is it so special?

Pink kits are cool. They just are. And this might just be the finest pink shirt in the history of the game. It helps that it was worn by some Juve legends, including Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Zinedine Zidane. The shirt marked the Old Lady’s centenary. Perfecto.

Expect to pay: £350-£400

 

7) Dortmund 96/97

 

Why is it so special?

It helps Dortmund won the Champions League in 1997 but this shirt is among the greats on its own merits, too. The sponsor dovetails with the Nike design and the luminous yellow makes this one instantly recognisable.

Expect to pay: £300-£400

 

8) Liverpool 1989/90

 

Why is it so special?

Much like the bruised banana, this shirt was one of the harbingers of a new style of football shirt: louder, braver, weirder, better. The shackles had well and truly come off and a new era was upon us.

Expect to pay: £400

 

9) Inter 1997/98

 

Why is it so special?

Google ‘Ronaldo, CSKA Moscow’ and you’ll see a masterclass – firstly from the great man himself, and secondly from Umbro with their beautiful, horizontal-striped Inter jersey. So brilliant Nike created their own version years later.  

Expect to pay: £500-£600

 

10) Napoli 1990/91

 

Why is it so special?

Maradona, mainly. But also that Mars logo splashed across the chest. The manufacturer – Ennerre – is another reason why you should buy this shirt if you ever get the chance. Magnifico.

Expect to pay: £500