THE VITALS:

Team: Liverpool

Brand: Adidas

Era: 2006-07 (Used for the 2006-07 Barclays Premiership season)

Name/Number: -

CONDITION: VERY GOOD

Despite its advanced years, this shirt remains in very good condition with the main blemish being the sponsor which has both worn in parts and has left imprinting on the material.

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Small

Pit to Pit Measurement: 18.5 inches

Shirt Length: 31 inches 

Made by Adidas in their ‘ClimaCool’ range of shirts which they introduced in 2006; the dimensions of the shirt would suggest that this shirt would also fit someone who normally wears a size medium shirt!

DESCRIPTION:

Adidas’ grand return as Liverpool’s kit supplier in 2006 saw yellow chosen as the club’s away shirt colours, with red as the secondary colour; this away shirt is a perfect homage to the classic yellow change attire Adidas crafted for the club between 1985-87! Masterfully using the second of their now legendary pair of templates they introduced in 2006. Adidas would maintain the precedent that Reebok had set for Liverpool away shirts by colouring the Carlsberg sponsorship green; altogether creating an incredible second debut away shirt! Liverpool fans will no doubt remember this shirt most for when it was worn in their 3-0 away win against PSV Eindhoven in the 1^st Leg of their UEFA Champions League Quarter Final tie en route to reaching the final of the competition in 2007!

THE SEASON:

The Benitez era continued to go from strength to strength in 2005-06 as Liverpool added the UEFA Super Cup and the FA Cup to their UEFA Champions League triumph in 2005, meanwhile, they came within 1 point of finishing in 2^nd place in the league; ending the domestic campaign on a 9 match winning streak!

There would be yet another series of incomings and outgoings with: Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Pennant, Fabio Aurelio and Dirk Kuyt all coming in the summer of 2006, while there were departures for remnants of the Gerard Houllier era – Dietmar Hamman, Djimi Traore, Bruno Cheyrou, Florent Sinama Pongolle, while the plug was also pulled on both – Fernando Morientes and Jan Kromkamp disappointing spells at Anfield.

In the curtain raiser of the 2006-07 season, Liverpool would visit newly promoted Sheffield United and would see their winning streak end after a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane on 19/08/06.This would come to represent would could at best be described as inconsistent form for the summer and autumn months of the season; winning just 6 games out of their opening 15; leaving them in 7^th place and 16 points adrift of the league leaders – Manchester United. Following the goalless draw at home to Portsmouth on 29/11/06, the team would enjoy a fantastic December where they won 5 out of their 6 outings, with only a defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day blemishing the month. Their fine upturn in form would see them end 2006 in 4^th place.

They would make it 100% in January 2007, as they went 4/4 – claiming wins over: Bolton Wanderers, Watford, Chelsea and West Ham United to make it 9 wins from their last 10 games and move into 3^rd place and just 5 points behind Chelsea in 2^nd place. That would be as close to 2^nd place as they would get and with just 1 win in their next 5 games; Arsenal would overtake them in 3^rd place. A crunch clash with ‘The Gunners’ on 31/03/07 would see Liverpool defeat Arsenal 4-1 at Anfield and with 4 wins in their next 5 games; they’d regain 3^rd place. Despite going winless in their final 3 games; they’d once again seal another 3^rd place finish, albeit by the finest of margins – a better goal difference of 2!

Liverpool’s season would start in August 2006 in the Third Qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League; however, a far-cry from the incredible First Round they had to begin from in 2005! Liverpool would edge past Maccabi Haifa to reach the Group Stage’s where they’d finish atop of a very intriguing group that also featured – Galatasaray, Bordeaux and PSV Eindhoven. Their reward would be the challenge of the defending champions – FC Barcelona! In the clash of the previous 2 winners of the competition; Liverpool would upset the odds as they eliminated the holders on away goals!

In the quarter-final; they’d be reunited with PSV, and would make light work of the Dutch side when they prevailed 4-0 over 2 Legs, to set up a showdown with Chelsea in the semi-final. Another war of attrition would ensue as penalties would be needed to determine who would take their place in the Athens Final on May 23^rd. An uncharacteristically wasteful Chelsea would see Liverpool win the shootout at Anfield 4-1 to set up the eagerly anticipated rematch with AC Milan in the Final! There would be no miracle of Istanbul sadly, even after Dirk Kuyt’s 89^th minute goal, as they had to play the role of runners up after a 2-1 defeat.

In the domestic cup competitions; Rafa Benitez would make 3 seasons in a row of lifting silverware as he guided Liverpool to a Community Shield victory over Chelsea on 13/08/06, however, while they ousted Arsenal to 3^rd place; Arsene Wenger’s side would be the bane of Liverpool’s League Cup and FA Cup journey’s; eliminating ‘The Reds’ in the Fifth Round and Third Round respectively.

The 2006-07 season would also be notable as it would be the final season in a Liverpool shirt for: Jerzy Dudek, Robbie Fowler, Djibril Cisse, Bolo Zenden, and Luis Garcia.

The notable players that season were:

Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez, Jermaine Pennant, Harry Kewell, Boudewijn Zenden, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Mohamed Sissoko, John Arne Riise, Daniel Agger, Sami Hyypia, Stephen Warnock, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Alvaro Arbeloa, Steve Finnan, Fabio Aurelio, Pepe Reina, Jerzy Dudek