Retro Leicester City Shirt – The Foxes' Greatest Moments

Leicester City were founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse, playing their early football on a field beside the Fosse Road. They turned professional in 1889 and were elected to the Football League in 1894, eventually changing their name to Leicester City in 1919 following the granting of city status to Leicester.

The club's early decades were defined by struggle and survival. Their first major Wembley appearance came in the 1949 FA Cup final, where they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Further cup final heartbreak followed in 1961, 1963, and 1969 – earning them an unfortunate reputation as Wembley losers. Yet supporters kept coming back, drawn by an unshakeable belief that one day the Foxes would break through.

The 1970s and 80s brought fluctuating fortunes. Frank O'Farrell and Jimmy Bloomfield provided periods of optimism, but relegation battles were a recurring theme. The club's arrival in the newly formed Premier League in 1994 marked the beginning of a new era, though they were relegated twice in the first decade before establishing themselves as a consistent top-flight presence under Martin O'Neill, whose exciting teams in the mid-to-late 1990s twice reached the League Cup final and won it in 1997 and 2000.

The King Power era began in 2010 when Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha purchased the club. Under Nigel Pearson, Leicester secured promotion to the Premier League in 2014, then performed an astonishing survival act in 2015 after being bottom at Christmas. What followed was the stuff of legend: the 2015–16 Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri, achieved at odds of 5000–1, with Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and N'Golo Kanté forming one of the most devastating attacking units in English football history.

European football followed for the first time, with a historic Champions League quarter-final appearance in 2016–17. The death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium in October 2018 devastated the football world, but the club and city rallied together with extraordinary dignity.

Brendan Rodgers subsequently led Leicester to FA Cup glory in 2021 – their first ever – before financial turbulence contributed to relegation in 2023. The Foxes bounced back immediately as Championship winners in 2023–24, only to suffer relegation again from the Premier League in 2025, underlining the volatility that has always defined this resilient club.

Leicester City's history is rich with players who became true folk heroes. Gordon Banks, one of the greatest goalkeepers England ever produced, spent the formative years of his career at Leicester before his World Cup-winning exploits with England. Frank Worthington thrilled Filbert Street crowds in the 1970s with his flamboyant skill, while Gary Lineker – born in Leicester – came through the youth system to become one of England's finest ever strikers before departing for Everton.

The Martin O'Neill era produced cult heroes in Steve Walsh, the combative centre-back, and Martin Izzet, the creative midfielder. Emile Heskey powered through defences with remarkable athleticism, while Neil Lennon marshalled the midfield with authority and passion.

No conversation about Leicester legends is complete without Jamie Vardy. The former non-league player who rose through the divisions to become a Premier League champion is one of football's most inspiring stories. His 24-goal season in 2015–16, including a record-breaking streak of scoring in eleven consecutive Premier League games, made him a global name. Riyad Mahrez's intricate dribbling and match-winning ability earned him PFA Player of the Year that same season before his move to Manchester City. N'Golo Kanté's tireless engine room performance was so exceptional it earned him a big-money move to Chelsea after just one season.

Claudio Ranieri himself deserves mention as one of the most beloved figures in the club's history – his warmth, humility, and tactical intelligence made the impossible feel inevitable. Brendan Rodgers later added FA Cup glory to his managerial legacy, while Kasper Schmeichel provided a decade of outstanding goalkeeping before departing in 2022.

Leicester City's traditional home colours of royal blue and white have remained remarkably consistent throughout their history, making the retro Leicester City shirt instantly recognisable across the decades.

The classic 1990s kits from the Premier League era are among the most collectible, particularly the Walkers Crisps-sponsored shirts of the O'Neill years. The bold, broad-collared designs of that era captured the era's aesthetic perfectly, and finding one in good condition today is a genuine prize for any collector.

The 2015–16 Premier League title-winning shirt holds an almost sacred status in football shirt collecting. The King Power-era home kit with its clean blue design and distinctive Thai-inspired elements became the most famous shirt in Leicester's history overnight. Demand for both replica and authentic match-worn versions spiked immediately and has never truly subsided.

Earlier decades produced some wonderfully eccentric designs – the pinstriped kits of the 1980s and the more experimental away shirts in grey and amber have developed devoted cult followings. The 1994 First Division play-off final kit, worn when Leicester returned to the top flight, carries enormous sentimental weight for supporters of a certain generation.

Collectors particularly prize the classic Admiral and Umbro kits from the 1970s through 1990s. The simpler, cleaner designs of those eras, with minimal branding and classic badge placements, represent the golden age of English football shirt design and connect directly to the terracing culture of those times.