GK Kits of the 10's
Your lockdown training regimes may have grown monotonous, but your apparel needn’t be, with the release of Sparta’s new branded attire fit with the slick new logo. The post-season weeks we should be approaching is also usually where we look forward to the launch of some new kits.
Shameless plug of our new merch aside, we have been looking at some of the best kits of the 2010’s, back when things were relatively normal compared to the decade we are a mere five months into.
Spain - 2010 -Blue
At the very start of the decade, Iker Casillas donned an iconic blue two-tone jersey, which you may remember from countless World Cup montages where he lifts the 2010 trophy above his head in Johannesburg.
What would once have been seen as inappropriate, the two tone kit templates came to prominence in the 1980’s and adidas reintroduced this for Spain in the 2010 World Cup, with the instantly recognisable three stripes on the threes, unusually in two different colours.
Casillas’s hallmark short sleeved choice adds even more character to the shirt.
Huddersfield 2018/19 - Purple
Huddersfield’s chic new emblem unveiled in 2018 was given an appropriate platform for Jonas Lössl to show it off.
The small purple imprints on the torso , darker tone than the sleeves, was the pinnacle of some very smart kits released by Umbro last season. Very aesthetically pleasing, Huddersfield’s other ‘keeper shirt bore an imprint design on the sleeves and could well have made this list, but the purple kit just edges it.
Despite Huddersfield’s relegation from the Premier League and finishing bottom in a miserable campaign, Jonas Lossl at least looked good when he was picking the ball from this own net.
Arsenal - 2010/11- Turquoise
Arsenal adopted a zig-zag pattern on their goalkeeper shirts for the 2010/11 season.
This design was released by Nike to several clubs but something about Arsenal’s turquoise number which compliments the black of the rigid zig-zags perfectly.
Although the black version of the kit was Arsenal’s primary goalkeeping kit for the campaign and in fact was one of four released by the club. Coincidentally four stoppers starred for Arsenal that season; Lukasz Fabianski, Wojciech Szczęsny, Manuel Almunia and remarkably Jens Lehmann, who came out of retirement as result of an injury-crisis at his former club.
Northern Ireland - 2011/12 - Burgundy
One of the more simplistic designs in this list Northern Ireland’s burgundy shirt, worn predominantly by Maik Taylor and Lee Camp, is perfect for international football with the lack of sponsor emblazoned on the front.
Typical of the time, Northern Ireland lost six from seven wearing this design and perhaps would have been more iconic had it been worn during the years of Michael O’Neill’s successful tenure.
The shirt was the last produced by Umbro for ‘Norn Iron’ as they moved to adidas the following year, but this has to be the most pleasant to look at from their recent catalogue.
Roma - 2017/18 - Green
The home choice goalkeeper shirt of Roma’s successful 2017/18 campaign, where they earned a third place finished and were Italy’s sole representative in the Champions League semi-finals, was worn by current Liverpool man Alisson Becker.
The dark green design is a throwback with a modern twist which Nike encapsulated perfectly with this kit. The white slim chevron design dominates the upper back of the shirt as well as the forearms, whilst the bold simplicity of the green front somehow works perfectly with it.
Alisson wore the shirt in Roma’s historic comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League and as such will be ingrained into club folklore and holds iconic status.