Your New Year’s resolution football essentials

As the well-known saying goes, new year, new boots. As well as being arguably the most important part of your kitbag, boots are also the most fun part to buy. 2022 saw some great new releases, with the Nike Phantom GTII line arguably the best to arrive. Whether you’re looking for firm ground or soft ground, elite level or entry-level, the Phantom GTII has a version for you. The boot has proven such a hit that it's worn by a whole host of the world’s best, with the Glacier Ice, Yellow Strike and Sunset Glow colourway proving to be particularly popular.

There’s every chance your new teammates will have a full selection of match balls ready to go, but it’s also equally likely that it’ll be easily forgotten each week, so it’s worth having your own. Now feels like the perfect time to go for adidas’ Al-Rihla design, best known as being the official match ball at the Qatar World Cup. You can relive the Messi vs Mbappe final for yourself.

Brands like Nike and adidas all have a number of good and practical kit bags, but you might as well take this opportunity to indulge your inner mid-90s continental player. Le Coq Sportif has the ideal solution, complete with the brand’s iconic logo against the French flag. Altogether it makes the bag look equally good whether you’re reporting for duty at Clairefontaine or packing away your muddy boots on a Sunday morning.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a newcomer to the game or a veteran of the five-a-side scene, you want to be the best dressed. Ultimately, that comes down to the shirt you wear on the pitch. The World Cup had some of the best on offer, but if you want to scratch deeper than that then the best place to start might be with the best-dressed club in European football, Venezia FC. Another strong effort would be either of Red Star Paris’ Lack of Guidance-designed kits for the 2022-23 season.

It goes without saying that you don’t want to go for the full kit, so you need to think about what you’re going to pair with your bright green Red Star Paris shirt or green and orange striped Venezia jersey. It’s probably best, in that case, to go for a plain black, and Nike has the perfect shorts and socks for the occasion. Best of all, that minimalist combination will really help your statement shirt to stand out.

If you’re serious about playing more football, you’re going to have to start in the cold, dark days of January. Ajax’s collaboration with Daily Paper delivered one of this season’s stand-out warm up shirts, while Nigeria and Nike launched their full-zip Academy Pro jacket and Celtic released a dark green track jacket. All of those are sure to keep you warm even while the temperature is at the lower end of the thermometer.

It might seem boring, but shin pads are undoubtedly a necessity. There are hundreds of different variations on the classic formula, but Legend has taken a new approach with their design. The U.S. brand has constructed its shin pads from bamboo, chosen both for its sustainable credentials as well as its lightweight and extra strong characteristics. Proof that you don’t need to compromise on performance to go green.

With rush keepers often in force, it's easy to think you can go without gloves. One palm-stinging save will quickly change your mind, though. adidas provides everything you need with their black Tiro gloves, but you can also go all-out and opt for a Predator pair. As well as keeping your hands protected, the gloves also offer extra grip and cushioning and a “Zone Skin” covering on the backhand.