Best Premier League retro soccer jerseys (2024)
The best thing with retro soccer jerseys is simple, they never get out of date and stay vintage forever! With EPL teams now having a 1st, 2nd & 3rd soccer jersey as well as training gear it's pretty hard to keep up and costs a lot too! That's why retro soccer jerseys are a perfect compliment for football fans, often cheaper than the latest jersey and retro soccer jerseys never go out of fashion!!
What are retro soccer jerseys?
Retro or vintage or throwback soccer jerseys are jerseys or shirts worn by teams in previous seasons and are no longer the current shirt the team wears. A shirt or jersey is normally considered retro once it's stopped being worn for around 5 years but there's no set limit on this.
What are authentic & replica retro soccer jerseys?
Authentic retro soccer jerseys
Not so many years back the only way to get hold of retro jerseys might have been a flea market or carboot sale or even on eBay where fans looked to get rid of their long forgotten official shirts they bought from previous seasons. These type of shirts that were officially licensed when bought for the then current season but have now become "old" are considered authentic retro soccer jerseys because they were officially produced shirts at the time of purchase or in some rare cases have actually been worn by players in matches.
Like buying a used car, they might have some ware and tear from being many years old & might not be available in all sizes but are now considered "classics" or unique and again like a classic car this is often reflected in the price. Don't be surprised if you find authentic retro jerseys costing hundreds of pounds!
Replica retro soccer jerseys
On the other hand, replica retro soccer jerseys are newly produced soccer jerseys in the style of shirts from previous seasons, basically they're new shirts "designed to be retro". They are generally & should be officially licence products so some proceeds reach back to the clubs and in general replica retro jerseys are significantly cheaper coming in at around £30-70 depending where you shop. So if you want cheap retro soccer jerseys buying replicas is the way to go!
You'll also more often than not have a better selection of sizes and the shirts won't have any ware & tear since they're newly produced products.
So whether you choose authentic or replica retro soccer jerseys is completely up to you. Some fans opt for authentic jerseys more as collectors items and have them frame on walls whereas others want replicas they can wear to games without the worry of a pint or sausage and chips being thrown over their priceless one-off retro jersey.
Where to buy retro soccer jerseys?
The demand for retro soccer jerseys has grown massively in recent years as fans find a way to show their support without having to shell out £100s each season on the latest shirts for their team, as a result there are now numerous retro soccer jersey websites selling both authentic and replica shirts from teams all over the World.
Authentic retro soccer jerseys
For rare & unique authentic retro soccer jerseys we highly recommend classicfootballshirts.co.uk which is one of the original retro soccer shops online.
It was started by 2 friends nearly 20 years ago as a result of a fruitless search for an original 1990 West Germany shirt, not long after the business was formed focusing on rare and unique soccer jerseys for fans. Their about page has a great write up but the highlight for us was the company getting access to an AC Milan warehouse with 15 years worth of kit worn by AC Milan players.
In summary if you want rare and unique and are prepared to browse or wait for the right size classicfootballshirts.co.uk is definitely the best site to use.
Visit classicfootballshirts.co.uk
Replica retro soccer jerseys
For high quality, branded cheap replica retro soccer jerseys your best option is 3retro.com. They ship Worldwide, have shirts from all teams around the World including International jerseys and are very competitive on pricing with most shirts costing between £30-50.
They only work with official licensed brands including Admiral & Umbro so you know you're getting high quality products and that your team will see some income from sales compared to if you bought a unlicensed retro shirt from elsewhere online.
They have a wider range of sizes on all shirts (although they can sell out fast) so it's unlikely you'll need to wait or monitor to find a shirt in the size you want.
In you're a general football fan we'd recommend checking out the 3Retro sales page on a regular basis as you'll likely find some absolutely bargains from shirts to training tops for as little as £20!
Best Premier League retro soccer jerseys of all time list:
So here's a trip down memory lane and a look at our best Premier League retro soccer jerseys of all time!
Given the one-off nature of authentic jerseys this list only contains replicas which are readily available in most sizes.
Liverpool FC 1989 (Home)
An all time favourite Liverpool retro shirt with Candy as the sponsor and a red background with texturing. Brings back memories of John Aldridge in his hay day wearing this one!
During the 1988-89 First division season Liverpool finish 2nd behind Arsenal, level on 76 points the winners were crown based the team with the most goals scored. The following season Liverpool went one better and clinched the 1989-90 First division title 9 points ahead of an impressive Aston Villa side.
After this league triumph Liverpool failed to clinch the title again until the 2019/20 season where they ran emphatic winners winning the title 18 points clear of 2nd placed Man City.
Manchester City 1989 (Home)
Another classic EPL jerseys from 1989 before Manchester City became the superpower they are today. Back in 1989 it was Manchester City's first season back in the top flight and featured an all British squad including the likes of Niall Quinn, Colin Hendry & Ian Bishop to name a few! They finished the 1989 season in 14th place, one place behind local rivals Manchester United!
Chelsea 1984
No sponsor & classic blue & red stripes, simple but perfect!! Believe it or not, in the 1983/84 season Chelsea won promotion from the then 2nd division with star players including Nigel Spackman, Pat Nevin and Kerry Dixon!
Everton 1990 Home
Everton's classic blue with the NEC sponsor. In 1990 Everton finished 9th in the league and had an impressive Full Members' Cup run reaching the final only to loose to Crystal Palace in the final. The squad included players like Peter Beagrie, Graeme Sharp & Martin Keown.
Leeds United 1994
The 1994 Leeds United squad was star studded including the likes of the late Gary Speed, Gary McAllister, Rod Wallace, David O'Leary, Carlton Palmer and goal machine Tony Yeboah. Who can forget Yeboah's rocket against Liverpool in 1995!!
Tottenham Hotspur 1994
Spurs finished in 7th place in the 1994/95 season with club legends Jürgen Klinsmann & Teddy Sheringham leading the line upfront!
West Ham United 2000
In their classic claret & blue with Dr Martens as the sponsor this retro jersey took West Ham to 15th place in the EPL. This West Ham squad was brimming with talented players like Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe & legend Paolo Di Canio.
Aston Villa 1990
Another classic claret & blue retro jersey from Aston Villa who having finished runners up the previous season slide down to a disappointing 17th place finish after manager Graham Taylor departed to become England manager. The squad included players like David Platt, Tony Cascarino & then youngest Dwight Yorke.
Crystal Palace 1978 Admiral
The retro jersey is very similar to the 2020/21 Crystal Palace away jersey and no doubt provided inspiration for this seasons shirt. In the 1978 season managed by Terry Venables Crystal Palace finished 9th in the then 2nd division table.
Newcastle United 1996 (Away)
Sponsored by Newcastle Brown Ale with their classic black and white stripes this Newcastle team is probably one of the best squads they've ever had with names like Philippe Albert, Robert Lee, Les Ferdinand, Faustino Asprilla, David Ginola & £15million signing Alan Shearer!! It's no surprise this Newcastle team finished 2nd in the EPL 1996/97 season!
Arsenal 1985 Centenary
Classic gunners retro jersey from 1985 when they managed a 7th place finish in the then 1st division of English football.