Manchester United have gone back to the glory days of the mid-1990s in search of inspiration for their new retro third kit — and can you blame them?
The choice of colours alone will instantly ignite nostalgic pangs in all supporters of a certain vintage when they see Ruben Amorim’s players run out wearing it during the 2025-26 Premier League season.
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– When Manchester United’s Eric Cantona attacked a fan in 1995
The black, yellow and blue palette is immediately reminiscent of the away kit worn by United between 1993 and 1995. The jersey is perhaps most famously (or infamously) remembered as being the one worn by Eric Cantona when he leapt over the hoardings to kung fu kick a Crystal Palace fan at Selhurst Park in 1995, earning him a nine-month ban.
Three decades on, the design has been revived with the new interpretation looking more contemporary, though arguably less characterful. Gone is the iconic foldover collar (which Cantona chose to wear popped and jutting up beneath his jawline) and in its place is a soft V-neck design that sees the yellow and blue added as delicate pinstriping.
Just as with the 1990s classic there are subtle, glossy vertical stripes woven into the material to add a touch of texture to the black jersey. The vintage trefoil emblem is a great retro touch and the same can also be said about the lovely, oversized United crest that is affixed to the chest.
The club and manufacturers Adidas enlisted another mercurial United great, Dimitar Berbatov, to star in the launch promo for the jersey, with the Bulgarian inviting players into his dojo to learn the discipline and technique required to make it to the top. But the vibes from the kit are pure Cantona
It’s not quite on par with the original, but the remake is likely to go down well with today’s United supporters, even if the club’s current No. 7, Mason Mount, has a lot of work to do to emulate Cantona’s legendary status.
