Earlier today we revealed the special football boots that Darren Bent will be wearing for Aston Villa’s big FA Cup match against Arsenal on Sunday, but what about the other games that are live on TV? Well, every game will feature the Umbro Neo Pro, the official ball of the FA Cup, and our boots are going to be well represented as well. Every other game on the box will feature some of Umbro’s finest, so keep your eyes peeled for these on the pitch from tonight:

Kyle Walker (Watford vs Spurs, tonight) – Umbro GT silver/red

Andy Carroll (Liverpool vs Manchester United, tomorrow), Speciali R

Jordan Henderson (Liverpool vs Manchester United, tomorrow) Geometra white/red

Jonas Gutierrez (Brighton vs Newcastle) Geometra black/green

Connor Wickham (Sunderland vs Middlesbrough) Umbro GT silver/red

Plenty of great matches to look forward to on TV this weekend, and plenty of great boots on display! Head to Umbro.com for more on all our football boots

These are some colourful boots! Look out for them on the feet of Aston Villa striker Darren Bent this weekend, when he debuts them in his club’s FA Cup 4th round tie against Arsenal. Created especially for Darren, there’s only a tiny number of these yellow and purple football boots ever being created. Ahead of the game, we had a quick chat with Darren about his boots, and him closing in on 100 Premier League goals. Here’s what he had to say….

You’ll be debuting these boots in a big game at the weekend, are you looking forward to the game at Arsenal?

‘Yeah, it should be a good game. I wasn’t involved in the game earlier this season, but I was at the last one down at the Emirates and it was a good game. Being an Arsenal fan as well, it’s always nice to play against them, but hopefully we’ll beat them!

The FA Cup is a special competition, and if you can beat Arsenal on the way, then it’d be even better. Beating Arsenal wouldn’t make it any easier though – that’s the magic of the FA Cup, that you can play any team and everyone just grows in stature. It doesn’t matter what division you’re in, anyone can beat anyone, it’s just about producing the goods on the day. If you don’t do that, then you’re out!

Winning the FA Cup would be a massive thing for Villa, we’re a massive, massive club and they should be winning trophies. If we could win the FA Cup, which is such a big prize, it’d be great for all the fans, and there’s no reason why we couldn’t do it.’

These special boots are a bit colourful, is that what you were looking for?

‘Yeah! I’ve always wanted some boots that are a bit more out-there, and Umbro have certainly produced the goods with these ones. I’m looking forward to wearing them! Umbro boots have always been really comfortable, they’re probably the most comfortable boots out there, and then they’ve done this yellow and purple colourway just for me, and they look fantastic, so I’m really pleased. With the colours, I just liked the look of them, I liked how out-there they are. You can’t sit on the fence with these ones.

The boots have also come at a great time as you’re close to getting 100 Premier League goals. Were you aware that you’re close to joining a very special group of players?

‘Yeah, it’s always been an aim of mine, to get in the Premier League 100 club, it takes some doing and there’s some absolutely class players in there. Alan Shearer, Robbie Fowler, Thierry Henry, these are all people that I regard as the best to ever play in the league. I’m on 99 at the moment, so I’m just looking for one more, hopefully I’ll get one off my shin or anything, just so I can be part of that. Once I get in there I’ll just be looking to get more as well. If I could get to 150 and beyond I’d be so happy.’

Obviously if you keep scoring goals, you could be part of the England squad at the Euros this summer. Have you thought about that yet at all?

‘I’m just concentrating on the cup and the league to be honest, because I’ve been in a similar position before, and all I can do is focus on what I do and play as well as I can for Villa, and if I got to go to the Euros with England I’d be delighted.’

We’ve done some special boots for you before, when you were the first player to have their Twitter name on their boots. How does it feel to be a trendsetter?

‘Nice! As long as people know that I was the first person to do it that’s cool, it’s all good fun. Trendsetter, I like that!’

Thanks to Darren for taking the time to speak to us. You can get your own pair of Umbro Speciali boots over at Umbro.com now – the Speciali 3 is on sale now.

The Speciali has long been regarding as Umbro’s iconic boot, offering classic style, comfort and great fit year on year, game after game. Now, following in the footsteps of the commemorative Speciali ’92 comes the latest design for our classic boot: the Speciali 3.

On sale from today, the Speciali 3 has everything you’d expect from the Speciali, with some interesting new innovations that keep the boot at the top of the class. The two colourways here – black and light blue, and white, black and orange – have already been spotted on the football pitch as top players such as England striker Darren Bent test them out. Now, they’re available to buy, so you can put them through their paces as well.

Available with both soft ground and hard ground outsoles, the Speciali 3 has a lightweight TPU outsole that gives the wearer greater flexibilty and heel stability. The SG studs are aerospace graded aluminium, lightweight yet incedibly durable. The uppers are crafted from the finest soft leather, making the boots incredibly comfortable, something that continues inside the boot thanks to Poron sock inserts. An assymetrical lace area provides a greater strike zone, so you’ve no excuse for those shots that hit row Z rather than the top corner!

Soft ground and hard ground Speciali 3 Pro football boots in both new colourways are on sale now on the Umbro website – head there now for more details and to grab yourself a pair.

In the top five for all-time England goalscorers, one-time winner of the European Football of the Year: Michael Owen is probably one of the only players to rival Alan Shearer in the England striker stakes over the past 20 years. Also a long-time Speciali fan, we sat down with the Manchester United forward to discover how he first got to know the boots…

How did you first come into contact with Umbro then Michael?

‘Lilleshall (The FA’s former Centre Of Excellence) was when me and Umbro first came together. Because it was run by The FA everyone was kitted out in Umbro, and we all got issued a pair of boots at the start. It’s funny actually, you get into Lilleshall and it’s this great place to be, you’re going to represent your country and you’re very proud of that, but the best thing for everyone was getting your goody bag at the beginning with a tracksuit and your boots and all that!’

How old were you at this time?

‘I was at Lilleshall for my last two years at school, so between 14 and 16, we did the whole school year there. We were like full time professionals before our time really, because in those days you’d normally join a club at 16 as a YTS. We had Saturday off to go and watch a Premier League match, and then Sunday was our game, so we were playing in those Umbro boots virtually every game. We had to look after them as well, they had to last for the whole season! They were such a good boot at the time, we all used to enjoy wearing them, and they just lasted.

There was two years at Lilleshall, and we used to play each other every Friday. There’d be trouble if the juniors beat the seniors – we used to play until it was almost pitch black as they didn’t want the juniors to win! I remember that our year was really, really good. We used to play all the academies on the Sunday, so one week it’d be Liverpool, then the next week Arsenal, then Everton, etcetera, and we used to beat everyone.

It was then the second year of Lilleshall when I started getting things sent through from Umbro, when I started being sponsored. That was always a great moment at that age, getting a box and opening it in the changing rooms in front of everyone else!’

What was it about the Speciali boots that you liked?

‘The softness of the boot was the in thing at the time, but that changes over time, doesn’t it? It was lightness for a while, but at that time it was how soft the Speciali was. But they start losing that as you play in them, so that’s how you could tell who was looking after their boots, because they’d stay soft and in good shape.’

Are you someone who prefers the classic look for a boot?

‘I think you move with the times – I remember Umbro trying to get me to try other colours at some point, and I was really reluctant, but you do it once and then it seems normal! Now, I don’t think people bat an eyelid, unless it’s something fluorescent, I don’t mind really. I do prefer a type, rather than a particular colour, I’m not keen on those boots that have elements to change the swerve or affect your game. I prefer a pure, classic boot, like the Speciali, with things like durability, lightness and comfort.’

Are you keen to have your name on your boots? Who was the first player to do that kind of thing?

‘David Beckham was definitely one of the first, if not the first, and that’s one of those things that’s just grown from there. As soon as everyone saw it they wanted something. The first thing I had was my autograph, and my number. I wouldn’t want anything else really – I wouldn’t want to do it for the FA Cup final and then have to break a new pair in for a game like that!’

There was actually one occasion where I’d been asked to wear some special embroidered boots by Umbro for the FA Cup final. I was on a great streak at the time, we’d won the Carling Cup, going really well, and we were looking forward to the FA Cup as well. I went into training on the week before wearing these new boots for the final, and the manager at the time Gerard Houllier noticed and was adamant that I couldn’t wear them. So I wore the old ones instead, and obviously went on to score two goals in the final. So I never got to wear those boots!’

What about superstitions around boots, would you ever change your boots after a run of bad games?

‘No, I was lucky when I was a kid to have a pair for two or three years, so I had to look after them and make them last. I think that lives with you as well, so that’s continued as I’ve got older. You’ve got to respect what you’ve got. My dad always took pride in me looking smart on the pitch as well, he’d never let me clean my boots, that was something he always did for me. Then they’d look great before the next game and they’d last, and that’s embedded in me. I always put my right boot on first, that comes from my dad as well, that was his superstition when he was a player, so he’s passed that on. And I do it with my kids now!

I’d only retire some boots early if I did something special in them. I’ve kept a couple of pairs of boots – I’ve got my World Cup 98 boots, and the Germany hat trick boots with the match ball, I keep a few.’

If you could pick out the best moments for you in Speciali boots, what would they be?

‘The 1998 World Cup obviously. There was a hat-trick against Newcastle for Liverpool once, and getting those first boots back at Lilleshaw would have to be in there. I scored for Liverpool on my debut in Specialis as well, and my England debut. And the City-United derby with the last minute 4-3 winner, that has to be up there!’

And isn’t it true you’ve got a horse called Speciali?

‘My first horse was called Etienne Lady, after scoring in St Etienne, then the next horse was named after all my family’s initials, and then we went for Speciali for our third horse, after the boots I wore in the ‘98 World Cup. I’m running out of names now, so I might have to do a competition for the next one!’

What about the other players who have worn Speciali boots, like Alan Shearer?

‘He was the man when I was coming through as a player. And also, as you get older you realise that people like Umbro have ‘lead players’ in campaigns, and Alan was always the main man at that time. We played alongside each other for England for a few years, and he was always a terrific player to work with.’

Thanks to Michael for taking the time to speak to us about his early days. The Speciali ’92 collection is on sale now, head to Umbro.com to see more.

As the Premier League’s highest ever goalscorer and one of England’s finest ever strikers, Alan Shearer knows plenty about hitting the back of the net. He also knows plenty about Umbro’s Speciali boots, with Shearer wearing them throughout his illustrious career. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Speciali with the Speciali ’92 collection, we also took the opportunity to speak to Alan Shearer about his time on the pitch and the boots he wore…

Alan, to start I guess I have to apologise for mentioning that the Speciali boot is now 20 years old…

‘Thank you very much for reminding me! Ha!’

Going right back to the start, how did you end up wearing Umbro boots in the first place?

‘I actually wrote a letter off to Umbro and some other companies, asking for a pair of boots basically, or some sort of sponsorship, and Umbro were the ones that replied. I got a few pairs of boots, some tracksuits and a kit deal for a year, so that’s how it started. And it’s still going to this day. So it’s been going a long time, and it’s been pretty successful for both parties. Over this period of time, it’s been more than a contract to be honest.’

Do you remember the first pair of Speciali boots you received?

‘I’m not sure of the exact year, but I do remember getting them. What stands out for me is that they’re a really pure football boot. There’s no pink or orange on them, no unnecessary additions, and that’s what I like.

Would you say they fitted with your personality on the pitch?

‘I wanted a boot that worked, a boot that was comfortable and did the job, and the Speciali did that for me. God knows how many goals I scored in them, but I had some great times in the Specialis. Once I’d worn the Specialis, I just wanted to wear them all the time. I wore them until they dropped off to be honest.

Did you ever have any superstitions around your boots?

‘If I’d gone on a barren spell, which luckily wasn’t very often for me, I would change into a new pair of boots. And the same way, if I found a pair that I was scoring in, I kept them on for as long as I could. I wasn’t really classed as a goalscorer when I was at Southampton, I think my record was something like 1 in every 3 and a half games, which is not great for a striker. But once I’d moved to Blackburn in 1992, a barren spell for me was about 4 or 5 games, I think.’

What about the old “chicken and beans before every game” story?

‘I didn’t always have that, I had it a few times and made the mistake of mentioning it once, and now everyone likes to remind me of that! I did enjoy it a few times though.’

I think it was 260 goals you scored in the Premier League, correct me if I’m wrong…

‘That’s correct!”

…But do you think anyone will ever beat your record?

‘I think the only guy that might have a chance in the next 5 or 10 years might be Rooney. Age is on his side, and he’s become an all-round goalscorer.’

Out of those 260 goals, which ones really stand out?

‘I think my first one at Blackburn will always be important, after moving for a British record fee, and then my first at Newcastle after moving for a world record fee. Also, breaking Jackie Milburn’s record at Newcastle in front of the Gallowgate End was pretty special. I’ve had some good times in the boots.’

You had a pretty good record for scoring on your debut as well, didn’t you?

‘Yep, I scored on my England debut, on my Blackburn debut, scored on my Southampton debut and my Newcastle home debut. Things like that never played on my mind though, I never got nervous. I got excited before a game, butterflies in the stomach, but that was more wanting to get out and play the game.’

Did you always want to return to the north-east and play for Newcastle?

‘Yeah, I always wanted to come home at some stage, and to do for a world record fee was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I’m very pleased I did so as well. Beating that record in front of the home end, the record of such a legend and a folk hero at Newcastle, that’s probably the one that stands out the most. The reception I got that day was just incredible, and something that’ll live with me for the rest of my life.’

What about days when it didn’t go as well – who was the toughest defender to play against?

‘Tony Adams was a tough one, I always had a good battle with him and we always gave as much as we got, and I think that’s the way it should be to be honest.’

And the opposite of that, who was the best partner to play with up front?

‘With England it has to be Teddy Sheringham, I had a great rapport with him, he knew my game and I knew his, and we both scored goals. At club level, I had one season together with Les Ferdinand and we scored 49 goals between us so that was pretty special.’

You mention England there, what moments stand out for you from your time at international level?

‘One of the best times was Euro 96, especially the 4-1 against Holland, the atmosphere on that day was terrific, the best I ever experienced in an England shirt. Teddy scored two and I scored two, and it was just a great occasion.’

How did you feel going into that tournament?

‘We’d had a bit of criticism beforehand, me personally because I hadn’t scored for a while, and I’d put pressure on myself by saying “judge me in a tournament.” Thankfully Terry Venables stuck with me and I managed to finish top scorer in the tournament, and we probably should’ve gone on to win it.’

Hate to bring it up again, but that tournament was one of my earliest football memories…

‘You’re making me feel old telling me that!’

Sorry! Moving onto something else, someone else who had success in the Speciali is Michael Owen. How was it playing alongside him?

‘The first thing you’d notice about Michael was his pace, his goals, and his attitude towards scoring goals. He wasn’t afraid to miss, he got into goalscoring positions, and his record is terrific. Everyone’s got a different character, but I do think that Michael is similar to me in some ways. I think all great goalscorers have a similar mentality, they’re never going to be afraid to miss. It’s all about getting into the next position and taking another chance.’

What about a modern player who’s wearing Speciali boots, Andy Carroll? Would you have liked to have played alongside him?

‘I’d have loved to have played with Andy. His physical style, his prowess in the air, bringing people into the game, it all would have been great to play alongside. He’s got the ability, the pace and the power. We’d have had a few battles as well – I don’t think defenders will enjoy playing against Andy, so I think we’d do alright!’

We’d have to agree! Thanks to Alan for taking the time to speak to us about his time on the pitch. The Speciali ’92 collection is on sale now, head to Umbro.com to see more.

We’ve already underlined how the new Speciali ’92 collection is something pretty special – and it’s clear to see with this limited edition Anthem jacket that’s a key part of the collection. It’s the most limited part of the Speciali ’92 collection as well – there’s just 92 in existence. The Anthem jacket is already an Umbro icon, designed with fit and comfort in mind, but here, there’s something extra special about it.

Crafted from soft leather, the jacket features flat knit rib trim on the collar and a tonal black Umbro double diamond logo on the chest. Even the lining has a Speciali twist, with a digital print detailing key moments in the 20 years of the fantastic Speciali boot. This very special item is on sale now over at the Umbro webiste, alongside the rest of the Speciali ’92 collection. Completing the range are two more items that are sure to be just as popular.

The leather Speciali ’92 ball is crafted from full grain leather, with 14 panels hand stitched together. The panels are embossed with the Umbro logo, and some of those impressive stats that detail the history of the Speciali. It’s a fantastic ball, but I’m not sure if you’d want to use it for a kickabout on the park – there’s just 92 of them available, so you probably don’t want to be the one who kicks it over the fence!

Completing the Speciali ’92 collection is a leather bag, which has also been created as part of a limited run of just 92. With alloy football studs on the base to protect the full grain leather, the bag also has an interior screen printed with those iconic Speciali moments.

All the items from the Speciali ’92 collection are now available to buy directly from the Umbro website.

Yesterday we introduced you to the Speciali ’92 collection: a limited edition range celebrating the 20th anniversary of our finest football boot. But what about the boots themselves? We’ve created a special version of the classic version of the Speciali boot, brought up to date with the latest in modern innovations for today’s game.

So what was it about that classic Speciali that made it so special? All the best elements are in the new Speciali ’92 boot. There’s that iconic Speciali tongue, that flips over and covers the laces to help you strike the ball. There’s that A-frame in the centre of the boot, first introduced in the 1996 edition of the Speciali boot. Providing midfoot support, that A-Frame has since been adapted and used in virtually every Umbro boot since. There’s also the premium leather used across the entire upper of the boot, offering the finest feel and fit for players at all levels.

The Speciali ’92 is more than a retro relaunch though. The boot features plenty of modern innovations, such as the moulded outsole spine that provides additional strength to the soleplate, or the Poron cushioned performance sock liner that offers extra comfort. Set to be worn by stars such as Andy Carroll and John Terry, the Speciali ’92 is very much a boot designed for the here and now.

It is a limited edition design though – just 1,992 boots are going to be available, so you’ll have to be quick to snap one up!

If you’re looking for something more suited to action off the pitch, there’s also a Speciali ’92 leather Milton shoe.

The inspiration from the classic Speciali boot are clear to see – although here that iconic flip tongue is in a tonal black colour, creating a smart, subtle look. With suede toe caps and leather uppers, the Miltons are a finely crafted pair of shoes that will look great wherever you choose to wear them. Although we would suggest sticking with the boots if you decide to step onto a football pitch – there’s just 1,992 pairs of the Milton shoes available, so you wouldn’t want to scuff them!

Both the Speciali ’92 football boots and the leather Milton shoes are on sale now through the Umbro website, alongside the rest of the Speciali ’92 collection. We’ll be taking a closer look at the rest of the collection throughout the week.

With two of the greatest players to ever wear the boots in attendence, classic DJ Jazzie B and Mercury-nominated Ghostpoet on the decks, plus a live broadcast of the event on Boiler Room, the launch of the Speciali ’92 collection in London last night was a pretty special occasion.

Kicking off with a Q&A session with Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, two men who’ve scored plenty of famous goals in Speciali boots, the evening also saw the Speciali ’92 collection take centre stage.

Afterwards, London rapper Ghostpoet and Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B took turns behind the decks, playing tunes from the 1992 launch of the Speciali boot, as well as a few more modern tracks, while Shearer and Owen were mobbed for photos with the audience.

A great night to celebrate the launch of a really special range, there’s plenty more photos from the night and from the Speciali 92 collection over on Flickr.

The images here were created in conjunction with The Green Soccer Journal – thanks to them and Boiler Room for making the night such a success.

You probably know already that the Umbro Speciali boot is special, but do you know just how special? How about this for some impressive stats: the Speciali football boot has been worn by six English golden boot winners. It’s scored 30 top tier hat-tricks, 775 English top flight goals and been worn in over 5,000 games on the highest stage, not to mention thousands more at every level of the game.

Some of the goals scored in the Umbro Speciali have since been etched into football folklore. The 5 that Alan Shearer scored at Euro ’96, against Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Holland and Germany? All in Umbro Specialis.

Michael Owen vs Argentina at the World Cup in 1998? Roberto Carlos’ famous curler in Le Tournoi in 1997? All in Umbro Specialis.

Not to blow our own trumpets, but these are some pretty special football moments. That’s why we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Speciali with a very special, limited edition collection, which will be on sale from tomorrow.

The collection, pictured above, is headed up by a Speciali ’92 football boot, which has the classic look of the original Speciali but with the very latest in footwear innovations. Alongside it, we’ve got a Speciali ’92 leather Anthem jacket, a Milton leather shoe and a leather bag and ball, all available in strictly limited quantities.

We’ll be looking at each of these items in more detail throughout this week, and we’ll also be taking the opportunity to speak to some of the iconic players who made the Speciali boot famous. For now though, we’re off to a special party to celebrate the Speciali’s 20th birthday – all the tunes are from 1992 apparently! Our friends at Boiler Room are going to be streaming the party this evening live on their website, with DJ sets from Jazzie B and Ghostpoet – check it out here. And keep an eye on Umbro.com for more information on the Speciali ‘92 collection.

Different people need different football boots, depending on the style of football they play, something we’ve decided to celebrate in these great images. All three of Umbro’s boots have their own particular attributes, but they’re united by one ethos: Tailored by England. Wherever you wear them in the world, you can be sure that Umbro’s boots will offer you craft, football insight and tailoring expertise.

Each of our boots is designed with different types of players in mind, so the main question to ask is: which one are you?

For the visionary, commanding player, the Geometra offers fantastic comfort and special attributes that aid control and passing. We’ve given a cheeky twist to an iconic phrase to capture the Geometra’s talents with ‘Keep Calm And Pass It On’.

The Speciali is perhaps our best known boot, and it’s clear why. Guaranteed craft and quality comes in every pair, which is why iconic players such as Alan Shearer and Michael Owen have always relied on the Speciali. Crafted from the highest quality leather, the Speciali has been given it’s own version of the royal warrant, a stamp of quality assurance that all football fans will understand!

The bright and brash member of the Umbro football boot family, the GT is for the daring player who likes to stand out on the pitch. Available in some eye-catching colourways, the Umbro GT is our lightest ever boot, crafted from a special micro-fibre for speed without compromising on quality. This colourful take on the phrase ‘Who Dares Wins’, created by designer Ben Eine, captures the Umbro GT’s talents perfectly.

Three different boots, for all the different types of players: Tailored By England. See Umbro.com for more details.