England’s new Nike kit will make its debut against Brazil at Wembley (Picture: Nike)
England’s new home kit will make its debut against Brazil on Saturday but one element of the strip has been met with anything but universal approval.
Both home and away jerseys feature what manufacturer Nike term a ‘playful update’ to the St George’s cross.
The trademark symbol of the English flag is proudly displayed on both kits but Nike have opted for a controversial change of colours which they hope will ‘unite and inspire’.
Reaction online appears to have been divisive and uninspiring, however, with a number of supporters furious at the makeover the St George’s cross has undergone.
Joey Barton, a one-cap wonder whose international career lasted a full 12 minutes, has been leading the dissenting voices, claiming the kit, which the Three Lions will wear at Euro 2024, has been Rainbow-fied.
He wrote on X: ‘Why did you alter the St George’s Cross on the back of the shirt. ‘Why Rainbow-fy it?’
‘France and USA suffer the same change to their national flag?’ he added referring to the more traditional colours used by Nike in their designs for the updated Les Bleus and USMNT kits.
Harry Kane models England’s new home shirt for Euro 2024 (Nike)
‘They haven’t done it to the French, US or the Dutch kits. They know the Rainbow, virtue signaling, simps and **** crew will dig this.
‘Proper England fans should boycott it until they put our national flag back the way it should be and has been for centuries. Embarrassing. Can’t believe the England FA signed it off. More Woke B******.’
Barton was far from without support with one fan suggesting Nike had been allowed to ‘defile the national flag’.
Bukayo Saka models England’s new away shirt for Euro 2024 (Nike)
‘Disgraceful The St George’s Cross is the sacred icon of the English nation and people,’ wrote MillwallDave.
‘Why have we allowed Nike, a US brand that produces these shirts with sweatshop labour, to defile our national flag? Why is England so ashamed of itself that it won’t get into uproar about this?’
The players themselves, however, appeared pretty chuffed with the new kit, which for the general public is available to buy for £124.99 if you want the ‘authentic’ version and £84.99 for the ‘stadium’ version.
More Trending
Speaking at the unveiling earlier this week, Bukayo Saka said: ‘It is unbelievable. I think this is the best kit we are going to wear and that I will have worn. It has a classic look and the collar is top. It is ten out of ten.’
Lionesses striker Alessia Russo said: ‘I really like it. It is retro. I would give it ten out of ten.’
It is a sentiment shared by her best mate and fellow England star Ella Toone, who added: ‘I love home kits because they are the ones you always wanted as a kid. The shorts are so smart as well.’