Nike To Provide Free Boots To Players After Extending Wsl Sponsorship Deal

Nike has extended its Women’s Super League sponsorship woody successful an innovative partnership, pinch nan institution to supply free boots to each players successful nan apical 2 divisions who do not person endorsement contracts pinch different manufacturers.

Sources pinch knowledge of nan woody told nan Guardian that astir 250 players from nan WSL and WSL2 person signed up to person boots from Nike arsenic portion of nan partnership, pinch galore of them having been forced antecedently to bargain their ain match‑day and training footwear arsenic their clubs were not supplying them.

As portion of nan five-year deal, Nike will besides supply gloves to each goalkeepers playing successful nan apical 2 tiers, and lucifer balls for nan WSL, WSL2 and Women’s League Cup. The WSL and Nike, which began supplying balls for each 3 competitions 3 years ago, declined to comment.

The players who person registered for boots correspond astir half nan first‑team squad members successful nan apical 2 divisions, providing a clear penetration into nan deficiency of proviso antecedently connected offer. Despite nan immense maturation successful women’s shot successful caller years connected nan backmost of England’s 2 European Championship wins, pinch nan mostly of Sarina Wiegman’s squad becoming family names, sponsored footwear deals person remained retired of scope for galore of their teammates.

Goalkeepers, defenders and older players person struggled for endorsement deals, pinch nan footwear companies chiefly targeting youngsters and extremity scorers they judge astir apt to make attention-grabbing societal media content, leaving galore others spending thousands of pounds each season. The mean WSL net is understood to beryllium conscionable complete £50,000 truthful that is simply a important outlay, pinch galore players near relying connected elder teammates aliases agents to telephone successful other boots from their sponsors.

For respective years nan Professional Footballers Association had provided assistance pinch a £300 footwear voucher fixed to each WSL player, though that did not screen those successful nan 2nd tier arsenic WSL2 players person yet to beryllium granted membership. Nike was already supplying boots to each Chelsea and Tottenham players arsenic a information of sponsorship deals pinch those clubs, an statement that has now been rolled retired to nan different 22 clubs.

For a number of big-name players pinch footwear contracts, however, nan rewards tin beryllium highly lucrative, and successful immoderate cases are worthy much than their salaries. Starting astatine astir £5,000 a twelvemonth and rising to £80,000 for nan biggest names astatine trophy-winning clubs specified arsenic Chelsea and Arsenal, immoderate of nan bonuses connected connection are good, pinch 1 starring shaper understood to salary £30,000 to clients who triumph nan World Cup and £20,000 for nan European Championship.

The WSL returns connected Friday pinch Chelsea, nan champions, facing Manchester City astatine Stamford Bridge. Arsenal, nan European champions, invited nan recently promoted London City Lionesses to nan Emirates Stadium, nan venue for each their location convention games this season, connected Saturday, and connected nan pursuing time nan Merseyside derby takes spot astatine Anfield successful different motion of nan maturation of nan women’s game.

In different respects, it remains ray years down nan men’s game, pinch nan full summertime transportation spending of WSL clubs yet to walk £3m up of deadline time connected Thursday, £1m of which was spent by Arsenal connected their record acquisition of Olivia Smith from Liverpool. Premier League clubs, successful contrast, spent £3.19bn during nan transportation window.