Nike will provide free boots to players in the top two tiers of women's football who do not have endorsement contracts, with roughly 250 players registered. The five-year agreement also supplies gloves for goalkeepers in the top two divisions and match balls for the WSL, WSL2 and the Women's League Cup. Many players previously had to buy their own matchday and training footwear because clubs did not supply them. Sponsored boot deals have favoured younger, high-profile attackers, leaving goalkeepers, defenders and older players without endorsements. The average WSL salary is just over £50,000 and PFA support was limited.
Sources with knowledge of the deal told the Guardian that approximately 250 players from the WSL and WSL2 have signed up to receive boots from Nike as part of the partnership, with many of them having been forced previously to buy their own matchday and training footwear as their clubs were not supplying them.
As part of the five-year deal, Nike will also provide gloves to all goalkeepers playing in the top two tiers, and match balls for the WSL, WSL2 and Women's League Cup. The WSL and Nike, which began supplying balls for all three competitions three years ago, declined to comment. The players who have registered for boots represent around half the firstteam squad members in the top two divisions, providing a clear insight into the lack of provision previously on offer.
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