Interview: Kyle Ashman | Shirt Collector & Kit Community Creative | Chelsea Fan.
As we're sure many of you already know, this is Kyle. Kyle is a massive part of the football shirt collecting community and showcases his impressive collection on Instagram (@Kyleashman), so make sure you check him out and follow his journey. We thought it was about time we had a chat with Kyle about everything football shirts.
What do football shirts mean to you?
Football shirts are more than just shirts. It’s almost as if they're an identity by themselves. They mean a lot to me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always worn football shirts, whether that’s around the house, out playing football or to events - it’s something that's just engrained into who I am and what I'll always wear.
What is it that makes a football shirt so special?
There are a lot of different reasons as to how a football shirt can become special. It could be because the team that wore it won a trophy or there was an iconic moment when that shirt was worn. It could be down to the player on the back of the shirt, or it could just be the personal memories that you have that are related to that shirt.
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Do you remember your first shirt?
My first shirt was the England 2005/07 home shirt with “#1 Kyle” on the back, which I still have to this day!
What is your favourite era of shirts?
My favourite era has got to be the 2010’s, as that’s when I started getting into football. There are a lot of shirts from that time that trigger instant nostalgia!
How many shirts do you have in your collection?
Honestly, I've lost track of how many shirts I have in my collection but it's somewhere between 200-250, I think. My holy grail shirt has got to be the 2011/12 Real Madrid home shirt, signed by Cristiano Ronaldo himself. It’ll be pretty hard to beat that! Although, my 1993/95 Sampdoria away shirt, signed by Ruud Gullit, comes very close!
📸 Kyle With His Holy Grail In 2025
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What do you look for in a shirt?
I mainly look for iconic players on the back of shirts or an iconic shirt itself. A title winning season or a stand out moment from a player is usually what I'm after.
📸 2004/05 France Away Shirt | Adidas
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What is it that hooked you to Chelsea?
My dad is the reason why I'm a massive Chelsea fan. Growing up, my dad always watched Chelsea on the tv with his Chelsea shirt on, so it’s just something that’s been passed down to both myself and my older brother.
📸 Kyle At Stamford Bridge In 2022
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Do you remember you're first visit to Stamford Bridge?
I visited Stamford Bridge for the first time at the age of 11 years old. I remember we lost 1-0 to Fiorentina, but luckily I've had the chance to go many more times to watch us win!
Do you have a moment from following Chelsea that you’ll never forget?
A moment I’ll never forget is being in the 'Matthew Harding Lower' and watching us beat Juventus 4-0 in the Champions League. A European night at the Bridge is just something special!