Rob Warner from Sutton Coldfield never imagined his childhood hobby of sketching over Roy of the Rovers comics would lead to designing kits for World Cup winners. The fashion graduate created Italy's royal blue strip for the 2006 tournament, complete with navy gradient panels and gold numbers that became iconic when the Azzurri lifted the trophy in Berlin.

Warner spent six years at Puma in Germany, crafting all their World Cup kits that year, plus Ferrari's Formula One clothing. As Umbro's creative director, he designed the controversial last England kit and Cameroon's pioneering all-in-one strip from 2004. His portfolio extends beyond football - he also designed Usain Bolt's kit for those record-breaking 2008 Beijing performances.

The designer wanted Italy's kit to embody superhero qualities, reflecting his belief that 'the Italian people see the football team as their superheroes.' His deep royal blue creation achieved exactly that, with the color blurring effect making players appear like comic book heroes in photographs - including that infamous Zidane head-butt moment.

Today, Warner runs a design academy with over 600 students across 50 countries. When asked about favorite World Cup kits, he names West Germany 1990 for its subtle refinement during a nation's transformation. His current pick? Curacao's pastel away strip, admitting bias since a former student now at Adidas created it.