The official Premier League winter match ball will be used this weekend and fans of a certain era may recognise it.
In a striking yellow and blue, the design takes inspiration from the classic Total 90 Aerow, which was used during the 2004/05 season – the first time an official winter ball was used – when Rangers manager Steven Gerrard and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard were still in their prime as players.
The new Hi-Vis Merlin model will be seen for the first time on Friday when Southampton host Leicester at St Mary’s and the ball has become a fixture at this stage of the season over the past 15 years to signal the start of winter.
It is the first time since the winter ball came into play that the design will be completely different to that of the regular one.
In June, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nike’s partnership with the Premier League, the ‘Merlin’ ball became the first to be produced solely for the division, having previously been used, albeit in different colours, by La Liga and Serie A.
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