Roy Keane will definitely have something to say about Ireland’s leaked new jersey

Some will love this jersey, others might find it underwhelming.

The Republic of Ireland are on course to make it to the World Cup next summer, and if they make it to Russia, they’ll have a new kit and a new kit manufacturer.

The Irish jersey will no longer be made by long-time partners Umbro, with New Balance coming on board.

Here’s the most recent kit:

And here’s the new jersey, made by American company New Balance:

Footy Headlines are rarely, if ever, wrong when it comes to leaked kits, so there’s a 99.9% chance this is the real deal.

It’s also likely to divide opinion. Some might find it classy, others might think it’s a bit plain. The orange trim, and round neck collar might not be to everyone’s taste either. But, given new football kits come along almost as often as international breaks, even if you aren’t impressed, it’s not worth stressing over because another jersey will be along soon enough.

One person who does take football kits serious is Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane. When he was Sunderland manager, Keane wasn’t happy about the team’s Lonsdale kits and reckoned the Black Cats wouldn’t be taken serious in them.

In his Sportdec column, former Sunderland and Ireland striker Stephen Elliott: wrote:

“In his opinion, it was important when opponents seen you in the tunnel, that you had an aura about you. That you looked like champions, so you could have that mental edge over your opponents. He went on to say that opposing teams would be coming to Stadium of Light and looking down at us because we were in our Lonsdale gear. He mentioned that when he was at Manchester United, he felt teams were mentally done when they seen the team looking the part going onto the pitch.”