The five best and five worst Aston Villa kits

We look back at 30 years of team strips from current Premier League clubs, with Villa next up

ASTON VILLA BEST 5) 1993/95 home: Playing around with Villa’s classic claret and blue home kit is a risky business (see worst kits). But the blue pin striped Asics top works well and was worn proudly by Dean Saunders, Dalian Atkinson and Co when Villa beat Manchester United in the 1995 League Cup final at Wembley to deny Alex Ferguson’s team a treble. Getty

4) 2010/11 away: Villa went for an all-black Nike effort that is taken up a notch by the smart bit of claret and blue trim down the sides. But the colour would end up matching the mood of the club as Martin O’Neill quit as manager before a ball had been kicked and his replacement, Gerard Houllier, missed the last month of the season due to health problems. Getty

3) 1999/2000 away: White away kits have been adopted successfully by Villa over the years and this number, with a claret and blue sash across the top, is a prime example. Allsport

2) 2007/08 away: Another white away top but this one with light blue pin stripes and shorts as Nike took over as kit manufacturers for the first time. A design that tips a subtle wink at the top worn when Villa stunned Bayern Munich to win the 1982 European Cup. Getty

1) 1992/93 home: A magnificent kit if ever there was one, sported here by defender Earl Barrett. Classic Villa claret with a slightly darker shade of their traditional blue, finished off with a white draw-string collar. Also the kit worn by Dalian Atkinson when he scored one of the greatest Premier League goals of all time, with a wondrous solo effort at Wimbledon. Allsport

ASTON VILLA WORST: 5) 1990/93 away: On the list for being spectacularly dull and a rare own goal from a Villa white away top. Dull patterns on the shoulder add to a laborious all-round effort from Umbro. Getty

4) 2012/13 away: Little known Italian sportswear manufacturer Macron took over kit duties and they stumbled out the blocks with this hideous luminous yellow effort. The club website would describe the new shit as “vivacious” clearly misspelling “atrocious”. At least it didn’t put off Belgian striker Christian Benteke who finished the season with an impressive 23 goals. Getty

4) 2013/14 away: Macron maintained its impressively low standards with an appalling away kit for the second season on the spin. A jarring mix of a shirt made up of blackcurrant and white quarters along with hooped socks of the same colours. “Classy” and “vibrant” the club website claimed, but they were fooling no one. And it clearly affected Benteke this time round as his goals tally dropped to just 11. Getty

2) 1999/00 home: An outrageous attack on the traditional Villa home design as stripes - YES, STRIPES! - are disgracefully introduced into the mix. Remarkably, the players kept their focus on the pitch with a sixth-place finish, which was clearly down to the vastly superior white away shirt lifting spirits. Allsport

1) 1993/95 away: A memorable effort from the world of dire football shirts. An unforgivable green and black striped deckchair/1970s wallpaper knock off. No redeeming features and a stain on the football club’s fine reputation. Allsport

Premier League clubs returned to training this week after the coronavirus-enforced lockdown on the current season.

And, as we edge closer to a possible return to action next month, we take a look back on 30 years of football kits from the current 20 top-flight English clubs.

There have been some stunning works of wonder over the years ... as well as truly heinous crimes committed in the name of sporting fashion.

Next in our series is Aston Villa, so take a trip down memory lane and click on the arrows or simply swipe to look at the next image.