Northern Ireland football shirts through the decades

Northern Ireland's first great adventure came in Sweden in 1958. Captained by Danny Blanchflower, with Harry Gregg in goal and Peter McParland scoring goals, the team got as far as the last eight of the World Cup. The next high point came in Spain in 1982, when a 1-0 win over the hosts in Valencia, through a goal by Gerry Armstrong, sent Billy Bingham's side through to the second round. Norman Whiteside became the youngest player ever to appear at a World Cup at that tournament. Northern Ireland qualified again for Mexico in 1986, where Pat Jennings played his last international against Brazil on his 41st birthday. Then came a long wait. David Healy's winning goal against England at Windsor Park in 2005 and his hat-trick against Spain the following year lit up a difficult period. Under Michael O'Neill, Northern Ireland finally returned to a major tournament at Euro 2016 in France, beating Ukraine and reaching the last sixteen. Will Grigg did not play a minute of that tournament, yet the song about him being on fire became the anthem of the summer. Windsor Park in Belfast is the national stadium.

George Best is the most famous name ever to pull on the green shirt, even if he never played at a major tournament. Pat Jennings won 119 caps in goal across more than two decades and was famed for his huge hands. Danny Blanchflower captained the 1958 side and later led Tottenham to the double. Martin O'Neill and Sammy McIlroy were key figures in the 1982 team, alongside Norman Whiteside and Gerry Armstrong. David Healy holds the national scoring record, while Steven Davis became the most capped player in the team's history. Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley, Kyle Lafferty and Michael McGovern were central to the Euro 2016 campaign, McAuley scoring against Ukraine in Lyon. Among the shirts on this page you can find prints for Will Grigg's number 9, Jonny Evans with number 5 and McAuley with number 4. A Grigg shirt has become a cult item and is a great conversation starter at any five-a-side game.

The Northern Ireland shirt has always been green, with white often used for the collar, trim and shorts. The shade has varied from deep bottle green to a brighter emerald, and many collectors like to line up several shirts to see the changes side by side. Most of the shirts here come from Umbro and adidas. Umbro produced designs with the classic diamond logo running down the sleeves and some memorable collar shapes, while the adidas shirts from the Euro 2016 era have a cleaner look and are among the most popular items in the range. Away shirts are usually white, sometimes with green or navy details, and are produced in smaller numbers than the home shirts. Goalkeeper shirts give a nod to the long line of great keepers, from Gregg and Jennings to Michael McGovern.