Warrior Unveil First Liverpool Kit of £25m-a-Season Deal

Warrior Sports have unveiled the new Liverpool home kit for next season and announced details of a unique sponsorship deal with Craig Bellamy, which will see them raise awareness of his charity work in Africa.

The American-based company, who have just begun a £25m-a-season six-year association with the Reds, say the new shirt was inspired by the 1964/65 version worn during Bill Shankley's reign.

"Our goal is to breathe new life and energy into the game of football, to make people sit up and take notice by redefining expectations," Richard Wright, Head of Warrior Football said.

"By partnering our knowledge of making high performance sports apparel with Liverpool FC's rich history, Warrior has successfully created a kit that will empower players with the means to dominate."

The iconic amber yellow Liver Bird emblem has been re-introduced for the first time since 1984, in a nod to the strip worn during the club's golden era of the 1970s and '80s.

The kit has been designed using War-Tech, which Warrior describes as "a revolutionary apparel system" engineered using Scafé, "an innovative, antimicrobial fabric made with coffee grounds". As well as being environmentally friendly, Scafé is fast drying, assists with odor control and provides UV protection.

"To further ensure the highest level of performance, the main body of the Liverpool FC shirt is designed with durable water resistant technology, a hydro-phobic development that rejects external moisture and helps maintain dryness," a statement said.

To accompany the launch, Warrior also revealed they had signed Liverpool and Wales striker Craig Bellamy to be the brand's first football ambassador.

His sponsorship fee will go directly to the Craig Bellamy Foundation in Sierra Leone to raise global awareness of the charity and build on his work to date. The Liverpool forward will also work alongside Warrior to help develop its debut football boot collection, set to be released in December.

"While Warrior works to support me on the field, we'll work together to support the Craig Bellamy Foundation off it," Bellamy said.

"For me, the most important part of this deal is that the money and extra resource provided by Warrior will go directly to the children and local communities involved with my charity in Sierra Leone."

Founded by the 32-year-old four years ago, the foundation provides under-privileged children a chance to reach their full potential through a mix of sport and education, enabling them to create better lives for themselves and their communities.

The charity is the driving force behind Sierra Leone's only professional football academy and a popular youth league and Warrior has also pledged to provide practical support by supplying footballs, boots and kit.

"At Warrior, we align ourselves with athletes who are highly driven, motivated and possess a winning mentality - Craig is one of these athletes," added Wright.

"His work in Sierra Leone is remarkable and we are delighted to help these young footballers of tomorrow."