Is this confirmation Barkley is heading for Brazil?
New shirt will cost fans a staggering £90 alone
England will play in an all-white home strip
Classic 1966 red look for the away number
Wayne Rooney will be looking to end 48 years of hurt wearing these new England kits in Brazil.
Sportsmail can reveal the home and away shirts that the Three Lions will walk out in at the World Cup. Both are designed with a classic look to inspire Roy Hodgson’s men as they face a difficult test in South America.
Rooney was joined by Ross Barkley as the Everton midfielder continues to enjoy a breakthrough season, Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, currently sidelined with a broken foot, Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.
England face tough group games against Italy, Costa Rica and Uruguay in their bid to go on to be crowned world champions for only the second time in history, ending the wait since their triumph in 1966.
And the new home strip is all-white, with the FA bowing to a request from world governing body FIFA who asked nations to adopt predominantly singled-coloured kits to improve the quality of HD television pictures. The navy blue shorts have been ditched with England following the likes of Germany, Portugal, Italy and holders Spain, who will all wear all-in-one themes for their home kits.
The red away kit, however, is separated by white shorts and red socks to complete the traditional 1966 look.
England’s new all-white number will be worn for the first time at Wembley against Peru on May 31, before the final 23-man squad departs for Miami for two World Cup warm-up fixtures against Ecuador and Honduras, and then onto Rio where they will be based in Brazil.
‘I’m always proud to put on the England kit and with these ones it’ll be no different,’ said Rooney.
‘I can’t wait to get out to Brazil and play in them this summer.’
The home shirt is said to be inspired by the 1970 World Cup kit worn by legends Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Geoff Hurst in Mexico. But a distinctive v-neck collar gives the shirt an identical look to the 1954 design sported by Billy Wright.
There is an engineered pinstripe in the fabric on the latest number with a white satin tape on the shoulders to create a shine – a theme displayed throughout the strip.
The gold 150th anniversary Three Lions crest is replaced with a metallic weave, added to create a shimmering effect that kit makers Nike say is most noticeable when the crest catches the light.
Inside the back of the neck is a pennant tab with a graphic of silver pinstripes that together create a St George’s cross. And the shorts also have a satin white tape along each side to create the same shine as the shoulders of the shirt.
‘Two references really stood out during the design process for the home kit – that stunning all-white kit England wore in Mexico in 1970 and the idea of the armour of English Knights,’ said Nike’s global design director Martin Lotti.
‘You can see subtle references to the armour in the pinstripe, which carries a hint of shine, and the white satin tape on the shoulders. ‘We wanted to add some small detail that echoed the glow of the armour worn by St George.’
The away jersey features a bold red tonal pinstripe design subtly infused with a graphic interpretation of a St George’s cross on the front and has a unique neckline with a grown on collar.
The shorts are white with a red tape along each side and the socks are red. The cross on the shirt, however, is an optical illusion and cannot be seen up close, only coming into focus from further away.
‘The red jersey has been an icon since England won the World Cup wearing it 1966,’ added Lotti. ‘As they prepare to compete this summer we wanted to pay tribute to their storied history while updating the kit with several contemporary design details.’
The players were said to be pleased with the new designs after modelling them for the first time at England’s Hertfordshire hotel base before the win over Denmark last month.
Both kits boast Nike’s dri-fit technology, which has mesh and laser-cut ventilation holes, to aid performance by helping regulate player body temperature over the course of match.
Indeed, this will prove helpful in the jungle-climate of Manaus, where England face Italy in their opening World Cup match on June 14.
But some fans and parents alike are unlikely to award their seal of approval, barely a year after the last set of kits were launched.
England wore the previous white home strip just seven times after it was debuted against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley last May. The red away kit was only seen in two games since its unveiling 10 months ago, against Brazil last June and in the 0-0 draw with Ukraine last October.
It could be the same case this time too, with the kits labelled ‘for 2014’, suggesting there will be another release in 2015.
The Football Supporters’ Federation refused to hide their angst last year and are likely to be furious again with an adult match replica shirt costing a staggering £90. A replica version is charged at £60 while youth shirts will cost £42.
‘We would advocate the kit manufacturers put use by dates into the garment’s label. ‘That way fans who fork out for a kit at least know exactly what they’re getting.’
But if Hodgson’s men manage to lift the trophy in July, the new kits will prove to be worth every penny – and a guaranteed collectors’ item.
The England home and away kits are available to pre-order on nike.com from March 31, and on sale in stores and nike.com worldwide from April 3.
—Daily Mail