Mitre Delta: Pride of Nottingham reviews the official EFL 2017/18 match ball

As someone who grew up in the 1990s, I honestly believe that it was the best decade for a young boy to come of age.

The music was incredible, there were so many good shows on television, and technology was life-enriching without being suffocatingly all-encompassing as it is today.

And then we have the football. Italia 1990 and Euro 1996 saw England give genuine hope to the nation's fans that football was in fact coming home, while the advent of the Premier League brought along with it dozens of players which thrilled audiences on these shores and worldwide.

And as part of that "liquid football", as Alan Partridge deemed it 20-odd years ago, the Mitre football was an instrumental piece of the jigsaw.

Founded in Huddersfield 200 years ago, the sports brand's iconic footballs were involved in countless historic moments in English football, from the Premier League's first ever goal (scored by Sheffield United's Brian Deane in a 2-1 win over eventual champions Manchester United) to Paolo Di Canio's legendary scissor kick against Wimbledon.

And now, Mitre have just revamped one of their flagship models as the official match ball of the 2017-18 EFL season, bringing together past, present and future.

With its unique white, blue and red design, the Mitre Delta has long been a staple of English football pitches from professional to Sunday League level, and it's back with a brand new design and plenty of little tweaks to make it apt for the modern game.

The ball is made up of 14 triangular-shaped panels stitched and bonded together by Mitre's trademark Hyperseam technology, while the surface has a rugged texture and embossed grooves.

These features help make the ball more aerodynamic, making it easier to curve and float, as well as enabling goalkeepers to get a firmer grip when making saves.

It's also quite soft compared to a traditional leather ball, and much lighter, so heading it - not to mention getting a poor connection with it - isn't something to be dreaded even when wet.

And the way the Mitre Delta is stitched should also offer more protection from damage and splitting, ensuring it stays in one piece for longer.

Launched in both white and yellow hi-vis, we've enjoyed playing this ball - aside from looking incredible, it's also a pleasure to use on the pitch, and you can tell the difference when playing with this compared to cheaper balls.

The Delta (RRP £115), Delta Replica (RRP £12) and Delta Replica Mini (RRP £7) will be available at all key retailers from 14 June onwards.

For more information please visit the official Mitre website.