Giorgio Armani as Official Tailor of the England Soccer Team

The announcement comes on the day when Giorgio Armani joins the England Football squad at its team headquarters to unveil the first collection of oufits the designer has created. The Squad will wear the formal suit from this collection when it departs from Luton airport this evening on its way to Durban for the historic friendly fixture against South Africa on Thursday.

Giorgio Armani said: "I am delighted and honoured to be working with the England team as they are representatives of one of the world's great footballing nations. It is also exciting to be designing for such a young and enthusiastic squad. Footballers today are the modern day gladiators - they have become icons both on and off the field."

Paul Barber, The FA's Director of Marketing and Communications commented: "We are very pleased to have secured a relationship with such a famous brand as Giorgio Armani.I am sure the players will enjoy wearing the suits and accessories designed by Mr Armani. The collection he has created fits the squads requirements perfectly."

Giorgio Armani is the designer who pioneered the marriage of fashion and football. He has dressed the Italian national team, Newcastle United and Piacenza, his home town team. He currently dresses Chelsea (a club he describes as "a little piece of Italy in South West London"), and has recently opened a store in Kiev in the Ukraine in partnership with AC Milan's Andreij Shevchenko.

In 1995 Armani brought on David James, then of Liverpool, as a catwalk and advertising face. Since then he has dressed the likes of Real Madrid's Ronaldo and Luis Figo and Inter Milan's Christian Vieri and Fabio Cannavaro.

For the England team's first wardrobe, Giorgio Armani has designed looks for both formal (a classic navy blue cotton/linen summer suit) and casual (a navy cashmere cardigan-jacket) occasions.