With the Premier League season back in action, many fans will be dusting off their vintage football shirts ready for the season ahead, but new research shows that they could actually be worth thousands.
Vintage football shirts are becoming ever-popular among Premier League fans, perhaps thanks to the soaring costs of the newest shirts, with some fans set to spend up to £80 for a shirt this season, according to the Cost of Being a Football Fan Report.
Creditfix looked at eBay purchasing trends to find out just how much vintage and retro-labelled football shirts were being auctioned for over the last six months, to reveal which memorabilia holds the most value.
Anyone who owns any of the vintage football shirts from the list below could be sitting on a hidden gem and potentially in for a financial windfall.
The most valuable retro football shirts that you could sell for a small fortune
| Rank | Team | Kit manufacturer | Type of Football Shirt | Season | Recent Sold Price |
| 1 | Manchester United | Nike | Away | 2006/ 08 | £1,851.00 |
| 2 | Liverpool | Umbro | Home | 1977/ 79 | £1,500.00 |
| 3 | Tottenham | Hotspur | Away | 1994/ 95 | £872.00 |
| 4 | Wolves | Umbro | Home | 1975/ 77 | £799.00 |
| 5 | Stoke City | Umbro | Home | 1978/ 80 | £680.00 |
| 6 | Ipswich | UNBRANDED | Home | 1974/ 75 | £650.00 |
| 7 | Sunderland | Hummal | Home | 1988/ 89/ 90/ 91 | £594.00 |
| 8 | Man City | Umbro | Home | 1993/ 94/ 95 | £570.00 |
| 9 | Celtic F.C | Umbro | Home | 1982/ 83/ 84 | £460.00 |
| 10 | West Ham United | Bukta | Away | 1991/ 92 | £413.00 |
| 11 | Arsenal | Nike | Home | 1994/ 96 | £406.00 |
| 12 | Wolves | Umbro | Away | 1982/ 83/ 84/ 85 | £360.00 |
| 13 | Newcastle United | Umbro | Home | 1980/ 83 | £360.00 |
| 14 | Norwich City | Asics | Home | 1989/ 92 | £353.00 |
| 15 | Barrow AFC | Spall | Home | 1990 | £350.00 |
| 16 | Northern Ireland | Adidas | Home | 1979/ 78/ 79 | £332.35 |
| 17 | Liverpool | Adidas | Home | 1995/ 96 | £320.00 |
| 18 | Everton | Le Coq Sportif | Away | 1983/ 84/ 85 | £310.00 |
| 19 | Man City | Kappa | Home | 1997/ 99 | £300.00 |
| 20 | Glasgow Rangers | Umbroo | Away | 1984/ 85/ 96 | £319.00 |
What are the most valuable retro football shirts?
While shirts from the noughties onwards only have one spot in the top 20, the Nike-branded Manchester United Away shirt from the 2006-2008 season took the top spot, with collectors paying up to £1,851 for the kit.
Owners of a Hotspur Tottenham Away shirt from the 1994 – 1995 season could be sat on an extra £872.
Two Scottish teams, Celtic F.C and the Glasgow Rangers make it into the top 20, with the Celtic F.C Umbro-branded Away shirt from the 1982 – 1984 season making it to 9th place valued at £460.
Umbro-branded football shirts seem to be the most popular on the list, taking seven of the spots out of the top 20, so it may also be worth taking into account the brands when getting your old football shirts valued,
With two entries in the top 20, Liverpool followers may find themselves on a financial high note with memorabilia ranging from ££320 to a whopping £1,500.
Cashing in on retro football shirts
If you’re fortunate enough to have a sought-after football shirt in the wardrobe gathering dust, it could be worth getting it valued.
Check similar items recently sold online for an idea of how much you could be sitting on, or you could find a specialist near you for advice.
Finding other ways to secure extra cash to help ease the tensions brought on by the cost-of-living crisis could be hugely beneficial for tackling any debts that may be looming in the background.
However, these should not be an alternative to seeking out professionally tailored advice from debt specialists.
We know that tackling debt can be daunting, especially if you feel like you’re unsure where to start to clear your debts. A Debt Relief Order, Individual Voluntary Arrangement or Debt Management Plan could help you to pay off your debts with a monthly repayment plan that suits your financial circumstances.
Methodology
Creditfix looked at eBay purchase data for ‘Retro’ and ‘Vintage’ football shirts over the last 6 months.
Using this method, a dataset was compiled with the top 20 most expensive shirts to uncover the most valuable types of kit.
Data correct as of August 2023.
