They were kits that never saw the light of day. A set of designs that were going to take Newcastle United’s partnership with Adidas in a ‘different direction’ – only for the Magpies to switch to Puma in 2010.

However, senior figures at Adidas, many of whom were working at the sportswear giant at the time, never ruled out a reunion, particularly after the takeover. In fact, it was only seven months into the new era that Inigo Turner, Adidas’ design director, told ChronicleLive: “It was a bit of a shame because I felt we were developing nicely with Newcastle and, then, unfortunately, it wasn’t continued, but who knows what happens in the future?”

Who knows, indeed. The secret is already out, but Newcastle are set to announce a nine-figure deal with Adidas next week, which will be the biggest in the club’s history, and significantly boost commercial revenues. It feels like a statement of not only where Newcastle are as a Champions League club, joining Real Madrid, Bayern Munich et al in the Adidas stable, but also where the Magpies are going, which is what Europe’s largest sportswear manufacturer looks for in prospective partners.

Just as Adidas will look to benefit from an association with a club bidding to win major trophies in the years to come, Newcastle, in turn, can reach new territories through the German giants. Newcastle want to become the most supported club in Saudi Arabia, but joining forces with a household name like this will also help the club gradually increase their presence in other major markets around the world.

You can see why a former commercial director at a leading Premier League side described this deal as the club’s ‘biggest and most important contract’.

“The sportswear brand is another significant partner that will generate significant revenue and reach opportunities for them,” he told ChronicleLive. “It will help transform their digital footprint globally with all the content they can jointly create with them. If you get an Adidas or a Nike, it gives you another platform from which to launch your brand.”

In other words, the partnership will open doors – just as it did around 20 years ago when Newcastle were chosen for Goal! This was a film funded by Adidas at a time when Newcastle were, remarkably, the only Premier League club whose kit was manufactured by the sportswear giant. Goal! has gone on to prove an introduction of sorts to Newcastle for a host of signings from across the globe and the film cemented Adidas’ association with the Magpies. In fact, Adidas’ logo was, contractually, in nearly half of the shots in the film while the three stripes were also incorporated into the trailers, adverts and art.