Anfield Road

NEW BALANCE, the parent company of Liverpool’s current kit brand Warrior Football, today confirmed their move to rebranding their football gear under parent company’s name. At the same time, the Boston company confirmed a new kit deal had been signed with the Reds.

Heralding their “entry into the globall football market” under the New Balance Football tag, the company said: “The announcement signifies a new multi-year kit manufacturer deal with Liverpool Football Club, a record-breaking deal in the club’s history.

“The agreement will see New Balance work alongside LFC to deliver world class product on pitch in line with the club’s ambitions to perform at the highest levels of the game.

“As part of the deal LFC product will be sold through New Balance retail stores globally and will help drive New Balance’s growth and entry into the football market.”

Also on board with New Balance Football, as they were previously with Warrior, are FC Porto and Sevilla. “Through these sponsorships, New Balance will bring its wealth of technical expertise and heritage to some of the biggest leagues in global football,” the company said.

One new name is coming under the wing of the sports brand: Stoke City. “The club is a cornerstone of the English game and mirrors New Balance’s own rich heritage in sport,” said New Balance Football who added that the deal will “further enhance New Balance’s expansion into football, cementing an impactful presence in the Premier League for the brand.”

Richard Wright, General Manager of New Balance Football, said: “We believe this global portfolio of clubs is an incredibly strong line-up for New Balance’s entry into the football market. We have four clubs all with distinctive, exciting identities and which will play a key role in taking New Balance Football to a truly global audience. This is an exciting, unprecedented start and we look forward to working with these clubs for many years to come.”

The final LFC European away kit from Warrior Football. New Balance Football will be the brand on the Reds’ shirts next season.

The company – from the same city as Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group – have also announced deals with Shamrock Rovers, Odds BK, Sagan Tosu, Yamagata, Club Sport Emelec, O’Higgins FC and Persebaya Surabaya. You’ll have heard of at least one of those.

New Balance say the decision to drop the Warrior tag for football came because of “the success of this initiative” and that “Warrior continues to deliver innovative products in performance sports including lacrosse and ice hockey.”

The Boston company also announced a number of deals with players including (in no particular order) Aaron Ramsey, Adnan Januzaj, Vincent Kompany, Samir Nasri, Marouane Fellaini, Tim Cahill, Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas, Fernando Reges and Nikica Jelavic.

Richard Wright added: “The pursuit of excellence, a passion for innovation and responsible leadership are the core values that has helped New Balance become one of the most successful sport and lifestyle brands in the world.

“It is these same values that New Balance will now be bringing to football and will help it firmly establish itself at the forefront of the market. Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a journey that will see New Balance designing the boots, kit and training apparel for some of the best players and clubs in the game today.”

Aaron Ramsey, the youngest ever captain of the Welsh national team, said: “New Balance has an incredible innovation team which put players at the heart of designs. I am very excited about the relationship I’ve developed with them already and what we can achieve together.”

Vincent Kompany said: “From the beginning, New Balance has impressed me. I’ve spent a lot of time with the whole team and they’ve really listened to the insights I’ve been able to give on playing at the top level. Their passion and enthusiasm to make a difference is infectious and I can’t wait to see people’s reactions to what New Balance is going to do in Football. I believe this brand could be a real game-changer in the market.”

For more information on New Balance Football, visit www.newbalance.com/football.