THE VITALS:

Team: Manchester United

Brand: Nike

Era: 2003-05 (Used for the 2003-04 & 2004-05 Barclays Premiership seasons, and the 2005 FA Cup Final)

Name/Number: V. Nistelrooy #10

CONDITION: VERY GOOD

The material of the shirt and the applications such as: the Nike swoosh, the sponsor and club crest are in exceptional shape! The name and numbering however, has taken significant damage, and as the images show, has started to wear heavily. The white trim of the collar has also started to discolour and become grey.

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Large

Pit to Pit Measurement: 22.5 inches

Shirt Length: 29.5 inches 

Made in the pre-Total 90 era between 2003-04, the dimensions of this shirt and the fitting of shirts from this period suggest that this shirt may be better suited to a size XL than conventional large.

DESCRIPTION:

In their second season as Manchester United’s kit supplied, Nike would craft the club’s first black away shirt since the 1998-99 season; and they did a masterful job in utilising a two-tone effect within the confines of the colour black. Supplemented with thin white trims, this remains one of the best shirts Nike made for the club during their 13 year relationship. This edition does also come a plastic Barclaycard Premiership emblem on the left arm.

THE SEASON(S):

Manchester United came into the 2003-04 season as defending Premiership season’s and following the departures of David Beckham and Juan Sebastian Veron; teenager Cristiano Ronaldo would become the club’s new number 7 following his move from Sporting Lisbon! The season would begin with a tense penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal to win the FA Community Shield, and after winning 15 of their opening 19 games; they’d be top of the Premiership in January 2004, however, an inconsistent 2004 portion of the season would see them finish a disappointing 3^rd place; the season however would be salvaged by winning the FA Cup for the first time since 1999, as they beat Millwall 3-0 in the Cardiff final! That summer, Wayne Rooney would be made the most expensive teenager in world football when he joined United for £27 million! The season began with challenges, as they were beaten by Arsenal in a rematch of the previous season’s Community Shield match and suffered an opening day defeat in the league to Chelsea and would win just 4 times in their first 12 games of the league season. Notably however, of those 4 wins would come the 2-0 win over Arsenal; ending ‘the Gunners’ unbeaten league run at 49 games. From November 7^th, United would rediscover their form of old, as they won 15 of their next 20 league games, however, a poor end to the season would see United finish 3^rd once again, and even more disappointment would come as they would be beaten by Arsenal in a penalty shootout in the 2005 FA Cup Final.

The notable players that season(s) were:

Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Louis Saha, Diego Forlan, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel Heinze, Wes Brown, Mikael Silvestre, Tim Howard, Roy Carroll