New Fox Leisure Retro Drop: Heskey & Walsh Recall Their ‘94-96 Shirt Memories!
- Resurrections of the 1994-96 blue home and yellow away shirts are latest additions to City’s growing retro portfolio
- Ahead of the launch, City legends Heskey and Walsh shared their memories of the kits
- Originally manufactured by Fox Leisure, meticulous detail has gone into recreating each shirt
- Foxes fans can pick up the 1994-96 retro range now at LCFC.com/shop
The latest add-ons to City’s growing retro collection are set to prove popular, none more so than with a generation of fans who remember watching their team return to the top-flight in 1996.
The iconic shirts coincide with the dawn of the Martin O’Neill era, in which the Northern Irishman sealed an immediate return to the Premier League and set up one of the most successful periods in the Club’s history.
Initially manufactured by Fox Leisure, the 1994-96 blue home and yellow away kits evoke fond memories, both for supporters and for the players who starred in them.
Speaking to LCFC.com, former striker and current LCFC Women's Ambassador Emile Heskey spoke of his recollections of the 1994-96 home shirt, which holds a special significance for his career.
The ex-England man recalls: “It’s the first kit I wore as a professional, so it of course brings back a lot of fond memories. Styles have changed since, of course, but shirts like this are timeless.”
When asked to name an iconic moment featuring the shirt in question, meanwhile, the City icon was quick to respond.
He said: “The headline-maker in that shirt has to be the winner at Wembley against Palace. It was me who was fouled right at the end of extra-time for the free kick that led to it. [Julian] Watts headed it back and Stevie [Claridge] puts it in four seconds from the end.
“Moments like that always stick in the minds of the fans, so I think that generation will be really pleased to see the Fox Leisure badge resurrected.”
Heskey - who enjoyed a successful six-year spell on Filbert Street - was quick to flag an observation when shown the footage of Steve Claridge’s extra-time winner.
“The one strange thing, looking back at those images, is seeing no names on the shirts!” he said. “Of course, they came in for the Premier League on the next kit, and it looks like they’ve done a great job recreating that style on the back.”
Former captain Steve Walsh - a cult hero with the Leicester City faithful - also sat down to reminisce, with the ex-skipper attributing the yellow 1994-96 away kit to an uncomfortable, yet poignant, earlier memory with the Foxes.
He said: “The ‘95 season was a bit of a washout for me. I played against Newcastle at home in the opener and I remember opening my joints up. I was back at it on a Tuesday night against Blackburn - wearing this yellow kit - when I probably should’ve been taking it easy! I hit the post with a header in that game, but in the end, I had to come off.”
Despite a spell on the sidelines that would follow, the former No.5 attaches memories of the 1994-96 yellow away kit to a notable exchange with a legend of the game.
“Kenny Dalglish was manager of Blackburn at the time and he made a point of coming to see me after the match, which meant a lot,” Walsh added. “In less-than-ideal circumstances, it was a nice moment.
“I also think of watching the lads from the sidelines at Maine Road with us in this kit. It was a shocking night - torrential rain - but Mark Robins scored a solitary goal and we ended up taking all three points off Man City that day.”
Relive your memories of the era by shopping the new 1994-96 Fox Leisure retro shirts, HERE.