Manchester United’s iconic 2007-08 kit is believed to be fans’ favourite of all time ahead of the legendary 1998-99 kit, according to a new study.
United fans hold a strong affinity with the 07-08 season, which saw the Red Devils retain the Premier League title along with capturing the Champions League trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo also enjoyed a scintillating season for the Red Devils after he scored an impressive 31 times en route to winning the Premier League Golden Boot.
The United legend’s exploits in the 07-08 campaign catapulted him to the first of his five Ballon d’Ors, beating out both Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres for the award.
United’s double winners beat treble winners for kit choice
JD Sports conducted the study and determined which kit came out on top via its Premier League football kit index.
Using the football kit index, United’s top three kits of all time were revealed through three different metrics: fan ratings, search volume and a kit’s resale price.
Each kit would then receive an overall score based on the aforementioned criteria, with United’s 07-08 kit securing a whopping 82 per cent of the index score.
United’s 1992-93 kit came a close second to the 07-08 kit with 77 per cent score, while the treble winners’ kit came third with 73 per cent of the index score.
MORE UNITED STORIES
Posted below are United fans’ five favourite kits of all time, according to the study.
- United’s 07-08 kit: 82 per cent
- United’s 92-93 kit: 77 per cent
- United’s 98-99 kit: 73 per cent
- United’s 08-09 kit: 70 per cent
- United’s 93-94 kit: 66 per cent
United kits aren’t always seen in the best light
Not every United kit holds fond memories for players, fans or managers, with one such instance including Sir Alex Ferguson ditching the club’s grey kit halfway through a match.
United wore the infamous grey kit in their 3-1 defeat to Southampton in 1996, but the Red Devils played the second half at The Dell in a blue and white kit.
Speaking on the kit change years later, Gary Neville opened up on why legendary former United manager Ferguson had such a problem with the grey kit.
He told The Football Show (via Sky Sports) in 2020: “Why would we have had another spare kit ready? It never came across well, because you’re losing and you change your shirts at half-time.
“It’s a bit unique, but there was a bit of science behind it. Sir Alex had employed a couple of years before Professor Gail Stephenson from Liverpool University, and we had her as our ‘eye coach.’
“It’s going to sound really daft this, but one of the great theories around football that was presented at United at the time was that match sharpness was nothing to do with your physical fitness. It was to do with your eye muscles being able to react to things happening on the pitch.
“Sir Alex had this in his head before the game that this kit was a problem because he’d been told by Gail. We had a full set of kit ready to put on at half-time. You don’t take another kit to a game unless you’re thinking there’s a problem with it. He had this in his head, but it didn’t come across very well.”