Liverpool have worn red since Bill Shankly introduced all-red in 1964, and the shirt has been present at some of the most significant moments in European football. Four European Cups in eight years. The tragedy of Hillsborough. Thirty years without a league title. Istanbul. These ten shirts tell that story from the fabric outward.
Plain red with white trim and the Carlsberg sponsor, worn at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on 25 May 2005. Liverpool were 3-0 down to AC Milan at half-time. They scored three times in six minutes in the second half, then won on penalties. Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Vladimir Smicer. The greatest comeback in Champions League history. The shirt costs more than any Reebok Liverpool shirt should, and no one who owns it has any regrets.
Plain red with the Umbro diamond trim and no front sponsor, the shirt worn when Liverpool won their first European Cup in Rome, beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1. Kevin Keegan's last season at Anfield. Bob Paisley's first European title. Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and Phil Neal scored. The simplicity of the shirt is part of its power as a historical object.
Rich red with gold detailing and the Standard Chartered sponsor, worn during the season Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for a league title. Jurgen Klopp's side finished 18 points clear of Manchester City with 99 points. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. The season was completed behind closed doors due to the pandemic, which made the title feel even more surreal for supporters who couldn't be there.
Red with the adidas three stripes on the sleeves and the Crown Paints sponsor, worn during one of the finest domestic seasons in English football history. John Barnes arrived from Watford and transformed Liverpool's attacking play. Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge completed the front three. Liverpool went the entire season unbeaten at Anfield and finished as champions. The adidas template of the period suits the all-red better than almost any other manufacturer has managed.
A different adidas template to the season before, with a revised collar and the Candy sponsor replacing Crown Paints. The 1988-89 season is inseparable from the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989, which claimed 97 Liverpool supporters' lives. The club and city carried on. Liverpool reached the FA Cup final. Arsenal came to Anfield on the last day and scored twice in injury time to win the title. The shirt holds the weight of an extraordinary year.
Red with a ribbed crew neck collar and the Crown Paints sponsor, worn during the season Liverpool won their fourth European Cup, beating AS Roma on penalties in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Joe Fagan's first season as manager. Ian Rush scored 32 league goals. Liverpool also won the league title and the League Cup. The treble. This Umbro shirt belongs to Liverpool's most decorated single season.
Red with a Reebok vector logo and the Carlsberg sponsor, worn across Liverpool's treble season under Gerard Houllier: League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in a single campaign. Michael Owen at his peak. Steven Gerrard beginning to establish himself. The UEFA Cup final against Alaves in Dortmund, won 5-4, remains one of the most unusual European finals ever played.
Cream with a paisley pattern and the Adidas logo, one of the most discussed shirts in English football history. Liverpool wore it at the FA Cup final against Manchester United, which they lost 1-0. The "Spice Boys" era, criticised in the press for the players' off-field profiles. Whatever you think of the design, no shirt from the 1990s generates more conversation, and none is more immediately recognisable.
Plain red with the Umbro diamond trim, worn during the season Liverpool retained the European Cup, beating Club Brugge 1-0 at Wembley through Kenny Dalglish's chip. Dalglish had arrived from Celtic to replace Kevin Keegan and scored the winner in a European Cup final in his first season. Bob Paisley's second European title. Back-to-back European Cup winners and the shirt barely changed between the two finals.
Deep red with tonal textured panels and the Standard Chartered sponsor, worn during Liverpool's quad attempt under Jurgen Klopp. They won the FA Cup and League Cup, reached the Champions League final, and finished one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League. The season ended with Liverpool within a single point of history on four fronts simultaneously. Salah, Mane and Firmino's final full season together.
