Gifts for Football Fans (Without Another Scarf)
Quick answer: A personalised football word art print, shaped like a footballer and filled with their name, position, teams and the matches they still talk about, is one of the most personal gifts for football fans because no one else will have the same one. Digital downloads start at £9.99 and framed A3 prints at £30.99.
Updated October 2026
Buying for a football fan sounds easy until you look at what they already own. The shirt is on its third version, there is a scarf for every season, and the mug cupboard is full. The good news is that the best football gifts are not about the club at all. They are about the fan: the games they played, the friends they watched with and the moments they will never stop talking about. This guide covers personalised ideas for players, keepers, women who play, milestone birthdays and Christmas. It is part of our wider guide to personalised sports gifts, which covers more than 50 sports.
In this guide
- What do you buy a football fan who has everything?
- Gifts for players, keepers and coaches
- Football gifts for women and girls
- Milestone birthday football gifts
- Christmas and Secret Santa football gifts
- Football gift comparison table
- What words to put on a football print
- How it works
- FAQs
What do you buy a football fan who has everything?
You buy them something about their own football story, because that is the one thing the club shop does not sell. The Personalised Football Word Art Print is a footballer silhouette made entirely from words you choose. Put in their name, the teams they have played for or supported, the grounds they have been to, the people they go with and the goals or games they still bring up in the pub.
Who it suits: lifelong supporters, Sunday league players, five-a-side regulars, season ticket holders and the friend who has watched every match with you since school.
Words to put on it: their name and nickname, the year they went to their first match, the people they watch with, memorable away trips, the result they will never forget and the phrases they shout at the telly.
Because it is made around the person rather than a badge, it also works if you are not sure which team they follow, or if they support a smaller local side that never gets any merchandise. If you are weighing it up against a new kit, our comparison of a personalised football poster vs a kit sets out the pros and cons of each.
What is a good gift for someone who plays football?
Players are fussy about boots, so leave the kit to them and celebrate their playing life instead. The Personalised Football Boot Word Art Print is a good choice for anyone who has spent years lacing up on a Sunday morning. Fill the boot with the teams they have turned out for, their positions, their best goal and the pitches they know every puddle of.
Who it suits: grassroots and Sunday league players, veterans still playing, students in a university team and anyone who never misses five-a-side.
For the person between the sticks, the Goalkeeper Word Art Print is made for keepers. Include their name, clean sheets, penalty saves they still mention and the shouts they use to organise the defence. Goalkeepers rarely get a gift that is actually about their position, so this one tends to land well.
Buying for a whole squad or saying thank you to the manager? A football print filled with every player’s name and the season’s results makes a lovely team present. Our guide to end of season football gifts has more ideas for coaches and teams.
What are good football gifts for women and girls?
The Personalised Woman Footballer Word Art Print uses a female player silhouette, so a woman or girl who plays gets a design that looks like her rather than a generic figure. Fill it with her name, position, club and squad number, the teammates she plays alongside, her first goal and the words her coach would use to describe her.
Who it suits: women’s and girls’ team players, school and university players, walking football regulars, coaches and passionate supporters of the women’s game.
It is also a thoughtful Mother’s Day or birthday present for a mum who plays, coaches or spends every weekend on the touchline cheering on the family.
What football gift should I buy for a milestone birthday?
Milestone birthdays give you a whole football life to draw on. There are footballer designs with the age built in for four big birthdays:
- 18th: the Personalised Footballer 18th Gift suits a young player moving from junior to adult football. Add the junior clubs, coaches and teammates who got them there.
- 21st: the Personalised Footballer 21st Birthday Word Art Print is ideal for a university player or someone just breaking into a first team.
- 30th: the Personalised Footballer 30th Gift has room for a decade of teams, awaydays and five-a-side nights.
- 40th: the Personalised Footballer 40th Word Art Gift is a great fit for someone still playing vets football, or who loves to remember the days when they did.
For a 50th, 60th or retirement, use the standard football print and add the age, the date and a highlight from each decade. Retirement often means more time for matches, so you can add the grounds they plan to visit next.
What are good Christmas gifts for football fans?
A football print works as a main Christmas present, and a digital download is affordable enough for a stocking or a Secret Santa. If you have left it late, the download arrives instantly so you can print it at home on Christmas Eve. Framed prints come with a mount, so there is nothing for them to do but find a wall.
For Father’s Day, fill the print with the matches he took you to as a child, the advice he shouted from the touchline and the team you support together. For a young fan, our guide to football gifts for boys has ideas for every age.
Football gift comparison table
| Product | Best for | Example words to include | From price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personalised Football Word Art Print | Players, coaches and lifelong fans | Name, shirt number, position, every team they have played for | £9.99 |
| Personalised Football Boot Word Art Print | Players who live in their boots | Name, positions, best goal, pitches they play on | £9.99 |
| Goalkeeper Word Art Print | Keepers at any level | Name, clean sheets, penalty saves, “keeper’s ball” | £9.99 |
| Personalised Woman Footballer Word Art Print | Women and girls who play | Her name, position, club, teammates, first goal | £9.99 |
| Personalised Footballer 18th Gift | 18th birthdays | Junior teams, coaches, “Eighteen”, squad mates | £9.99 |
| Personalised Footballer 21st Birthday Word Art Print | 21st birthdays | Uni team, first senior side, best season | £9.99 |
| Personalised Footballer 30th Gift | 30th birthdays | Clubs, five-a-side group, awaydays, “Thirty” | £9.99 |
| Personalised Footballer 40th Word Art Gift | 40th birthdays | Vets team, decades of teams, grounds visited | £9.99 |
Every design starts at £9.99 for a digital download or unframed print. Framed A4 prints start at £22.99 and framed A3 prints at £30.99.
What words to put on a football print
The words are what make the print theirs. Aim for 20 to 40 words or short phrases, mixing a few big ones, such as their name, with small details only they would recognise. Here are three lists you can adapt.
Example 1: the lifelong supporter
- Their name and nickname
- “First match” and the year it happened
- The people they go with: “Dad”, “Uncle Pete”, “the lads from work”
- Memorable away trips and the towns they visited
- The result they still bring up
- Their seat or the end they stand in
- Matchday rituals: “pie at half time”, “same scarf every week”
Example 2: the Sunday league player
- Name, shirt number and position
- Every team they have played for, from juniors to vets
- Their best goal in a few words: “volley from the edge of the box”
- Cup finals, promotions and player of the season
- Dressing-room phrases: “man on”, “keep it simple”, “same again next week”
- Teammates’ nicknames
Example 3: her 30th birthday
- Her name and “Thirty”
- Every club she has played for
- Position and squad number
- Her first goal and her best season
- Teammates who became best friends
- Words that describe her: “fearless”, “first to training”, “always wants the ball”
Tip: ask a teammate or matchday friend for two or three in-jokes. Those are often the words they spot first.
How it works
- Choose a print. Pick the football, boot, goalkeeper, woman footballer or milestone design.
- Design it with your own words. Add the names, teams, places and phrases that mean something to them.
- Preview it free. See exactly how it looks before you pay, and change anything you like.
- Choose your format. Get an instant digital download to print yourself, or order an unframed or framed print. Framed prints ship within 3 to 5 working days in the UK, or 7 to 15 days internationally.
Football gift FAQs
What do you get a football fan who has everything?
Most football fans already own the shirt, the scarf and the mug, so look for something about their own football life instead. A personalised football word art print, filled with their name, the teams they have played for or followed, and the matches they remember, is something they cannot already have. Digital downloads start at £9.99.
Are there football gifts for women and girls who play?
Yes. The Personalised Woman Footballer Word Art Print uses a female player silhouette, so she gets a design that looks like her. Fill it with her name, position, club, shirt number and teammates, just as you would for any other football print.
What is a good football gift for a milestone birthday?
There are footballer prints made for the 18th, 21st, 30th and 40th birthdays, with the age built into the design. Fill them with highlights from every stage of their football life, from the junior team they started in to the five-a-side group they play with now.
Can I use my team’s colours on a football print?
Yes. You can choose colours in the designer to suit the team they support or play for, and the free preview lets you try different combinations before you buy. The words are yours to choose, so the print is about the person rather than a club badge.
How quickly can I get a football gift before Christmas?
Digital downloads are instant, so you can print one at home the same day if you have left it late. Unframed and framed prints are made to order and ship within 3 to 5 working days in the UK, or 7 to 15 days internationally, so order with a few days to spare in December.
Is a football print a good end-of-season gift for a coach?
Yes. Collect a word or two from every player, add the season’s results and the coach’s favourite touchline phrases, and the print becomes a team thank-you. A framed A3 print from £30.99 is easy for a squad of parents or players to split.
The best gift for a football fan
The best football gifts are the ones a fan could never buy in a club shop, because they are about them. Pick a design above, fill it with their football story, and browse every design in our sports and fitness prints collection. For other sports, see our full guide to personalised sports gifts.
About Word Art Prints
Word Art Prints is a UK shop that has been making personalised word art prints since 2017. There are more than 470 designs to choose from, and every print is made to order with the customer’s own words.