The agreement, announced on Wednesday, has been long anticipated and sees Warrior replace Liverpool’s long-time partner Adidas and make its first entry into the football market. Reportedly valued at £25 million per year, the agreement is the biggest kit deal in the history of English football. The deal is worth at least double the value of Liverpool’s current agreement with Adidas and also surpasses the previous £23.3 million record deal between Nike and Manchester United.
Warrior – a subsidiary of New Balance, which is based in Boston, United States – is traditionally associated with lacrosse, but the company has attempted to branch out into other sports in recent years. The new contract will come into effect from June 1 and will see Warrior create Liverpool’s home, away and third kits, as well as its training wear.
Richard Wright, general manager for Warrior Sports, said: “At Warrior Sports we pride ourselves on high performance and an incredible desire to win. Our partnership with Liverpool FC, a football institution and recognised brand name across the world, is the perfect fit. Warrior Sports has ventured into football to bring our knowledge of making top level product to a new playing field. We are not the sort of brand that is going to keep our head down. We are here to shake up the world of football and our partnership with one of the most successful club teams of all time is just the start.”
Ian Ayre, managing director of Liverpool, added: “This is another landmark deal for Liverpool Football Club and once again shows the value of the club's brand globally. Warrior Sports will bring its own unique brand and ideas to the partnership, ensuring that they can assist us at the club both on and off the field of play. Sharing the same focus of domination and winning will be an incredibly important part of this partnership going forward. As with all our partnerships we have taken time to form a relationship with the individuals behind this opportunity. I believe that Warrior have some outstanding people we can work closely with to continue to deliver quality products to our fans around the world.”
