Just champion! Leeds United's Subbuteo-themed T-shirts are finger flicking good

United heroes such as Gordon Strachan and Gary Speed feature on a new range of T-shirts produced by the club in partnership with much-loved tabletop soccer game Subbuteo.

The images on the T-shirts are inspired by the flick-to-kick figures instantly familiar to any granddad, dad or lad who has ever played Subbuteo.

The range has been released as part of the celebrations marking the forthcoming 25th anniversary of United’s most recent title triumph.

And Mike Peebles, the club’s head of retail, licensing and merchandising, is hoping the T-shirts will prove a big hit with Whites supporters.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “[Today’s] Cardiff match is the first home game we have had since they were released, so it will be interesting to see how they go.

“The reaction has been very positive on social media, though, and we think they look great.

“It seems to be an ideal combination, a historic brand like Subbuteo and a club that has one of the proudest heritages in football.”

The new partnership came about after Leeds worked on another project with Genesis Sports, the firm that today holds the rights to the Subbuteo name and game.

Four player T-shirts have been produced, each one dedicated to a member of Leeds’s legendary 1991-92 midfield of Strachan, Speed, David Batty and Gary McAllister.

A fifth shows Howard Wilkinson in a Subbuteo-style recreation of a well-known photo of United’s manager of the time walking away from the camera holding the championship trophy at Elland Road.

The Subbuteo range is exclusively available from United’s Elland Road and Merrion Centre stores as well as the club’s online superstore.

Leeds say more T-shirts could now be in the pipeline, possibly featuring players who starred during the all-conquering Don Revie era.