Mohamed Salah Liverpool 2019Getty Images

Liverpool's shirt sponsors & classic kits in Premier League history & beyond

Liverpool are known for their trademark all-red kits from their shirts all the way to their socks. Liverpool's kits are synonymous with the club itself, and last year experienced the club's highest-selling year in the sale of their replica shirts.

With the club's current deal with New Balance expiring soon, will Liverpool renew their partnership or look to other kit manufacturers? Goal takes a look.


Who are Liverpool's current kit sponsor and manufacturer?


Liverpool have their kits currently sponsored by banking company Standard Chartered, whose partnership with the Reds began in 2010 when they took over from previous club Carlsberg.

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Standard Chartered's deal is now the second-longest in the club's history, with Carlsberg having sponsored Liverpool for 10 years.

The previous deal between Liverpool and the banking company was set to end at the end of the 2019-20 season, but Standard Chartered extended their partnership until the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign in December 2018.

They last previously agreed sponsorship extension in 2013 and 2015, with the last deal worth around £30 million a year.

Liverpool have their shirts manufactured by New Balance, though a subsidiary company Warrior Sports was the initial supplier that took over Adidas' deal with the club in 2012.

Adidas sponsored Liverpool for 15 years throughout the '80s and into the '00s, but ended their deal with the club following the Reds' poor results domestically and their failure to qualify for the Champions League in the 2009-10 season.

New Balance took over as kit manufacturer from Warrior Sports in 2015, a company affiliated by the brand and who are known for their role in manufacturing hockey and lacrosse apparel in North America.


When does Liverpool's current kit deal run out?


Liverpool's current arrangement with manufacturers New Balance (worth roughly £45m per season) is set to expire at the 2019-20 season. However, the Reds are in the stages of re-negotiating a deal to go beyond that campaign.

According to the  Liverpool Echo,  however, the Reds are also open to offers from rival kit suppliers such as Adidas, Nike and Puma, who are seen as the world-class standard of sporting manufacturers both in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Should New Balance want to maintain their deal with Liverpool, they will need to offer Liverpool a significantly higher increase on the partnership's current terms.

Manchester United's sponsorship with Nike is currently the most lucrative in the Premier League (worth around £75m a season), which is followed by Arsenal (Adidas for £50m a year), Manchester City (Puma for £50m a year) and Chelsea (Nike with £60m a year).


Who are past Liverpool shirt sponsors?


Steven Gerrard Fernando Torres Liverpool 2008-09Getty

Liverpool's longest-standing shirt sponsor was Carlsberg, who sponsored the club for 18 years between 1992 and 2010 before being taken over by Standard Chartered.

Adidas supplied Liverpool's kits for 15 years (interrupted by Reebok for 10 years from the mid-90s to mid-00s, and is the longest sponsorship deal that the club have had.

Umbro manufactured the kit during the start of Liverpool's glory days from the '70s to '80s.

YearsKit manufacturerKit sponsor
1973-1979UmbroNone
1979-1982UmbroHitachi
1982-1985UmbroCrown Paints
1985-1988AdidasCrown Paints
1988-1992AdidasCandy
1992-1996AdidasCarlsberg
1996-2006ReebokCarlsberg
2006-2010AdidasCarlsberg
2010-2012AdidasStandard Chartered
2012-2015Warrior SportsStandard Chartered
2015-presentNew BalanceStandard Chartered

What are Liverpool's most iconic kits?


Kenny Dalglish Sammy Lee Liverpool FCGetty

Liverpool's vintage shirts are considered classics and remain popular with new and old fans alike, as they were the shirts that the Reds enjoyed the most success in during the 'Golden Era' of the '70s and '80s, worn by stars such as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Graeme Souness.

Manufactured by Umbro and Adidas and sponsored by Crown Paints and Candy, these 'retro' shirts are synonymous with Liverpool's most successful era and represent a time at the club where they were the most dominant force in both Europe and England.

Liverpool's 2005 kit that they won the Champions League in is another classic shirt, one that was manufactured by Reebok and sponsored by Carlsberg. Reds fans will equate the 2005 shirt with the heroics of Steven Gerrard's long-range last-minute strike against Olympiakos to keep the Reds in the competition as well as his header that signified their comeback in the final from 3-0 down against AC Milan.

The 2005 Reebok shirt is the one worn by the Liverpool team as they lifted their biggest trophy post the Dalglish era, memories of Gerrard swinging his arms around in the t-shirt like kit – resembling a crazed, demonic butterfly – ingrained in the minds of many.

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