Mohamed Salah models Liverpool’s 2024-25 home kit, but will he get to play in it?
Credit to Author: Chris Wright| Date: Thu, 2 May 2024 09:23:45 EST
Steve Nicol reacts to the spat between Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah on the touchline, as Liverpool are held 2-2 by West Ham. (2:02)
Liverpool have gone early and released the new home kit they will be wearing in the Premier League for the 2024-25 season, a retro-infused salute to the glory days of the mid-1980s.
The Reds’ new jersey is covered in an angular, chrome yellow pattern that spells out the letters “YNWA,” standing for the club motto, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
The pattern is intended as a modernised reworking of the plain white pinstripes that adorned the Liverpool home kit of 1983-84 — the year in which manager Joe Fagan led the great side of Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Ian Rush et al to a First Division, League Cup and European Cup treble.
With Liverpool’s most recent home shirts featuring more basic designs, next season’s look is a bit more lively with the standard white crests and badges swapped out for the vintage yellow.
The plain, round neck has also been replaced with an unusual bar collar that is inspired by the thick V-neck on the 1984 shirt. The names and numbers printed on the back are also a bespoke design inspired by the street signs found dotted all around the city of Liverpool, some of which date back to the early 1900s.
The 1984 European Cup final saw the Reds pip Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in a nerve-jangling penalty shootout. The Italian city has been used as inspiration for the kit launch video, in which a clutch of Reds stars decked out in their finery while sipping espressos, holding sorbetto ice lollies and loitering near scooters.
Those concerned may also be reassured to learn that Mohamed Salah does appear in the promotional material despite speculation over the Egypt forward’s future at Anfield.
Salah had a visible touchline spat with manager Jürgen Klopp during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday. Klopp and Salah appeared to have a disagreement as the player waited to be introduced from the bench with 13 minutes remaining, with teammates stepping in to defuse the situation.
Salah declined the opportunity to speak to reporters in the mixed zone following the full-time whistle in East London, saying: “There is going to be fire today if I speak.” That comment fuelled speculation that, with his contract due to expire at the end of next season and amid continued interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, his days at the club were numbered.
But Liverpool fans might now feel slightly more at ease that the club’s top goal scorer will not be leaving just yet.
However, in the photos, he hardly looks like a man who is thrilled to be involved, although that could easily just be his reaction to modelling the questionable ensemble of football shirt, wide-legged trousers and chunky loafers.