Goodbye Stevie - Only Nike! What Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerrard, Messi and Neymar Wore When They Made Their Professional Debut
Steven Gerrard today announced his retirement from professional football. We take a look at the boots worn by Steven Gerrard and the the three players in today's game who regularly receive signature cleats from their suppliers - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar - inlcuding some surprises (Gerrard received one signature boot from Adidas for his last match at Anfield).
Steven Gerrard - Nike Tiempo Premier 5
Steven Gerrard, who been wearing Adidas Predator boots for almost his entire career, made his professional debut for Liverpool wearing boots not from the Three Stripes but from the Swoosh - the back, white and blue Nike Tiempo Premier soccer cleat, released for the 1998 World Cup. However, Steven Gerrard should score his first goal wearing Adidas Predator boots one month later, and remained true to Adidas until the end of his career (He wore the Predator for more than 15 years before Adidas discontinued the boot silo in 2014; Steven Gerrard switched to the Ace).
Steven Gerrard scored his first goal for Liverpool as professional wearing Adidas Predator boots in 1998
Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor
After impressive performances at youth level with Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo made his professional debut aged 17 for Sporting wearing the Nike Mercurial Vapor. He never laced up in another silo since then, which is a big exception, to say at least.
Lionel Messi - Nike Air Zoom Total 90 III
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut exactly 12 years ago, wearing Nike's Total 90 cleat.
17-year-old Leo Messi made his first La Liga appearance for Barcelona in 2004 wearing the Chrome, Black and Red Nike Air Zoom Total 90 III boots. Messi's La Liga debut came two years before he agreed a sponsorship deal with Adidas, and 11 years before he received his own signature silo.
Messi had signed with Nike at the age of 14 after his move from Newell's Old Boys to Barcelona. After breaking into the first team Messi also made a number of matches in the Tiempo Legend and Mercurial Vapor II before switching to the Adidas +f50.6 TUNIT in March 2006 as he signed a reported £2million five-year deal with Adidas.
Neymar - Nike Mercurial Vapor III
Neymar has been wearing no other boot than the Nike Mercurial Vapor for Santos.
Neymar made his professional debut in 2009 wearing a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor football boots at the age of 17. And while the Brazilian superstar since then has become the face of the all-new Nike Hypervenom, he still wears a version that is more a Mercurial than a Hypervenom (Read more about Neymar's camouflaged boots).
Do you also still miss the Total 90? Let us also know in the comments below.
