This blue is darker than City's, brighter than Italy's, and instantly recognisable. Combined with the lion on the chest — a lion rampant holding a staff, which is unusual enough to be memorable — the shirt identifies itself without needing any help.

Which is why the club has been able to do more with the rest of the design than most. White panels, yellow trim, red trim, unusual collars: all of them still read as Chelsea.

Most club shelves reward you for buying the home shirt. This one rewards you for looking, because the away and third designs have produced some of the more distinctive English shirts of the last two decades.

If you are buying for someone who follows the club closely, that is the argument for going past the home shirt. If you are buying for someone who does not, do not — the blue one is the one they mean.

Fit is standard English and generous — your usual size, and up one if layering.

On printing: a mid-blue body takes a white name set well and a dark one badly. Most official printing on this shirt is white or light, and a dark print on blue is the combination that disappears at a distance. Check the listing photos before ordering.