INTERVIEW: "It’s All About the Story" - Streamer Zealand on Kits, Football Manager & the Melilla Kit Creator Competition

Kit Creator has announced a partnership with Zealand, the popular Football Manager YouTuber and streamer with over 400k subscribers , for a competition to design a kit for his long-term "narrative" career mode save with UD Melilla. We sat down with Zealand to discuss his journey into football fandom, his passion for kits, and what this collaboration means for the FM community.

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Kit Creator x Zealand x UD Melilla Kit Design Competition Launched

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Hello Zealand, thank you for joining Footy Headlines for this interview. For those who are unfamiliar with you, how would you describe yourself and your content?

I'm a YouTuber and streamer who got my start through a hopeless addiction to the game Football Manager. I love teaching people how to play, but have continued to expand my videos into the world of gaming and football to find more fun things to do, and more fun stories to tell.

Zealand has more than 400k subscribers on YouTube

Many American football supporters have an interesting introduction to the sport. How would you describe your football fandom origin story?

I think it's usually overblown that there has to be some crazy, weird origin story for American soccer fans these days. I played growing up and someone bought me the 2006 World Cup game on Nintendo DS, from then on, I was hooked. It was FIFA every day when I got home and Premier League matches on TV for me after that.

You're famous for your Football Manager content. What about Football Manager specifically drew you in?

I have always loved sports so much, there are so many different sports in the US and I would get so into each one depending on the season. The one thing our sports are lacking is a global angle, though, so I remember specifically when a country like Trinidad and Tobago would pop up on that 2006 game, I would just go wow, I can't believe they play too. The expansiveness of the football world is really laid bare in Football Manager, and it was just waiting for me to explore. My first-ever save was with a team in the Indonesian 2nd division. I just wanted to get out there and explore the football world - I didn't care about the big teams at all.

Only nine of the many great UD Melilla kit competition entries

You're also known for your Hidden Grounds documentaries, where you travel the world, interacting with unique footballing cultures. Have you seen any interesting or unique kits from these adventures?

What stands out for me is how taken for granted kits are for larger clubs. Everyone is always worried about how cool the kit is going to look, but you spend times with these smaller nations or clubs, and even though they've usually made it to a pretty big stage if I'm there, the number and quality of the kits is the primary concern. It's expensive running a football club, and I think the kit process brings a serious bit of financial pressure and emotional pressure because if they don't look good enough, it reflects poorly on the club. My most prized kit from my travels is from Real Hope FA, though, the Haitian champions - great kit and tremendous club.

Some of our favorite designs submitted for the Melilla kit competition so far

What interested you in partnering with the Kit Creator platform for a kit design competition?

I know this may sound strange, but I was never a kit guy myself. I collect kits for memories, like when I visit somewhere or have an experience with a club then I want the kit. But I know people express their fandom and passion through kits, so I wanted to create an outlet for all the people who are so invested in Melilla the way I am. It's a great chance to be a part of the story.

You often make videos about mods for Football Manager, e.g. the awesome stadium mod by BassyBoy. How important do you think these fanmade addons are for Football Manager?

Football Manager has a vibrant community and the gateway drug to that community is the huge collection of mods available. The new engine seems to be trying to stop that process, but fortunately, people are finding ways to add to the FM sandbox anyway - I'm sure there'll be more mods in the future, too, which is only a good thing.

So, now getting back to kits. What is your favorite kit of all time? Which one do you despise the most?

The worst kit is England, it's like the original shirt that exists before you actually create something on it. I would love to see England really go for an actual home kit sometime. My favorite kit is hard, I mean, I'm not an authority or an expert at all, and don't know most, but I'll go with the Marshall Islands national team. The story behind it was obviously fantastic, last national team and all that, but the design is legitimately fantastic for those that aren't familiar, you're missing out.

What is your favorite decade of football kit design?

Oh 90's for sure, so much style in the big flashy colors, I feel like people really try to be too cool with it nowadays, when all everyone wants deep down is a 90's goalkeeper kit.

What do you look for when buying football kits?

I glanced off this earlier, but the story, it's all about the story. If I have the coolest kit in the world but literally no connection to the club or the country or a player or anything, I won't buy it. I think football kits can bring you back to places. I feel it every time I put on the kits from Hidden Grounds, or those that players who like FM have given me. I still have kits from family trips when I was a kid, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of those, they just bring me back.

How many kits do you have in your collection and which is your favorite?

I have too many to count. I've done sponsorships that send me kits and I get a lot sent to me for random reasons too. I've never thrown one away, but I'm starting to put them in boxes. I have a specific closet just for kits. I think it's definitely well over 100 but I honestly have no idea. My favorite kit is a match-worn Julian Gressel top. He's a former US international and multiple-time MLS champion, and also a good friend. It was super cool to finally watch him play, and I'll always cherish that shirt.

Do you design your own kits for yourself, e.g., using the FM Kit Creator?

I'm pretty sure I almost failed art class in elementary school so you wouldn't want to see that - I'm looking forward to seeing what the real creatives cook up. I'm always amazed by how good the kits look from the kit creator.

Make sure to enter the Zealand Melilla kit competition on Kit Creator until Sunday and watch Zealand's Melilla journey on Twitch. You can also follow Zealand on Instagram, X and TikTok.