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Konate models Liverpool away kit as new signing’s squad number revealed

Liverpool have unveiled their new away kit for 2021-22, and they have once again turned to the city and the club’s past in search of inspiration.

The club and manufacturers Nike describe the jersey’s colour — not quite white, not quite cream, not quite beige — as “off-white stone.”

It is a nod to the colour used for the Reds’ 1996-97 away strip, a fans’ favourite which has become something of a cult classic. It’s also highly reminiscent of the colour of the infamous designer suits worn by the Liverpool team as they milled around on the Wembley pitch before the 1995-96 FA Cup final.

The Armani suits (selected by goalkeeper David James, who was modelling for the label at the time) have become part of English football folklore, with their prematch outfits still the cause of some derision and even blamed by some for their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United that day.

However, rather than simply drawing a line under an era-defining fashion disaster, Liverpool then followed up by releasing an “ecru” away kit the following season, which they launched by having Steve McManaman, Stan Collymore, Jason McAteer, and Rob Jones dress up as The Beatles.

While relatively popular, the ecru colour was phased out after just one year (1997-98 saw a return to a bright yellow away shirt) and hasn’t been touched since. At least until now, that is.

While the base colour of the Reds’ new alternate strip harks back to a much-loved kit from a generation ago, it is also intended to reflect “The Three Graces” — the trio of prominent stone buildings that populate the Liverpool city skyline.

Situated on the Pier Head on the banks of the Mersey river, the Three Graces consist of the Cunard Building, the Port of Liverpool Building and the Royal Liver Building.

The ornamental “Liver bird” statues perched atop the Royal Liver Building were used as a jump-off point for last season’s Liverpool teal-and-black third kit.

The Reds’ new signing Ibrahima Konate was one of the players deployed to model the kit following the France U21 defender’s recent arrival from RB Leipzig.

They also took the opportunity to reveal that the 22-year-old has taken the No. 5 squad number recently vacated by Georginio Wijnaldum, who brought his five-year stint at Anfield to a close last month by joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Wijnaldum arrived from Newcastle United in 2016 in a £25m transfer and went on the help Liverpool win the Champions League, Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup before moving on to pastures new when his contract expired.

If Konate can look back on an Anfield career half as good as his Dutch predecessor’s in five years’ time, he’ll have done okay.

Sourced from Man United

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