by With the EFL Cup final just days away, Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield admitted he had positive ‘selection tips’ when his side faced Peterborough United on 7 April.
But he is not the only member of the Chairboys family who has an important decision to make ahead of this Sunday’s Wembley show.
Meet 20-year-old Jayden Wilkins – a lifelong Wycombe supporter who lives in the small village of Feniton, Devon, and may have the world’s largest collection of Wanderers shirts.
Jayden wearing his 2019/20 Nnamdi Ofoborh shirt (Image: NQ)
Although he is twenty years old, Mr Wilkins has put together a collage of kits before his birth in November 2003.
In total, he has close to 100 Wanderers shirts but the ‘big’ decision is to choose just one for this weekend’s game at Wembley.
The oldest kit in Jayden’s collection is this 1993/94 shirt. (Image: NQ)
Speaking exclusively to the Free Press, he explained: “I never considered myself a shirt collector until last year because I was always looking for a good football shirt.
Two shirts from the 2021/22 season sit nicely in Jayden’s collection (Image: NQ)
“Wycombe are my team and I love collecting retro shirts.
Shirt worn by Alex Samuel during the 2018/19 season (Image: NQ)
“But because they’re a lower league club, they rarely get hold of them and, for me, I’m more of a retro kit fan in general so when the Wycombe shirts are available, I don’t mind picking them up quickly.
Wycombe fans also snapped up a training shirt worn by Adebayo Akinfenwa in the early 2020s. (Image: NQ)
“It started when I saw that Match Worn shirts started auctioning kits online, and Worn Wycombe shirts were widely available.
Curtis Thompson’s shirt was never worn due to a problem with the club crest (Image: NQ)
“At that time, I managed to get one signed by Brandon Hanlan, one signed by Chris Forino and a few others.
“The shirts have been relevant in my teenage years and now as a young adult so in the future I can show my children and tell them stories about the players in these kits that I grew up watching .
One of this season’s goalkeeper kits is not available in the club shop (Image: NQ)
“They are nice souvenirs to have.”
Kits that form part of Mr Wilkins’ collection include rare items such as Nnamdi Ofoborh’s signed 2019/20 past match, and Curtis Thompson’s 2022/23 home jersey.
The latter was never worn because the club crest was damaged after being partially melted by heat stress.
A separate wardrobe was built to accommodate all the shirts in his collection (Image: NQ)
Asked about his rarest kit, he said: “I’ve got a Franco Ravizzoli kit in the highlighted yellow, and I believe I’m only one of two people outside the club shop who have that shirt.
“The Max Stryjek shirt was also available but it was from the game we lost against Barnsley in November, and we all know what happened there.
“I don’t think these shirts are for sale so in a few years the value could go up.
The shirts that are currently on Jayden’s bedroom wall (Image: NQ)
“It’s great because Franco is one of the few Argentinian players to have played for Wycombe, and it will be a nice reminder of his time at the club.”
Chairboy fans also admitted that despite having around 100 kits in his collection, the 2002/03 home shirt is his favourite, as he wears it all the time when he’s out and about.’ , and that he changes the tops on his bedroom wall. because of the high number in his arsenal.
This Franco Ravizzoli shirt cannot be bought in the club shop (Image: NQ)
Finally, which Wycombe kit he will wear at Wembley, he said: “I was going to wear Forino’s green shirt from this season because we will be playing green, but I decided against it.
“I might be wearing the home shirt from this year on because I haven’t seen Wycombe lose this season wearing a Hummell kit.
“Yeah, I think I’ll go with that.”
