Dutch club unveils tartan kit in video starring former Hearts and Motherwell player.

Dutch side FC Twente have unveiled a striking new tartan shirt designed to celebrate the club’s long-standing connections with Scotland, with former Hearts and Motherwell player Rob McKinnon featuring prominently in the launch campaign.

The Eredivisie club revealed the special strip this week, and the response from supporters was immediate. The new shirt almost completely sold out shortly after being released, highlighting the popularity of the unusual design and the affection surrounding Twente’s Scottish links.

Twente are currently enjoying a strong campaign in the Netherlands and sit fourth in the Eredivisie. However, their connection with Scotland goes well beyond their current position in Dutch football.

The club has developed a unique relationship with Scotland over several decades, with a number of Scottish and Dutch players helping to create the connection between Enschede and the country.

Rob McKinnon helped FC Twente launch their tartan strip (Image: FC Twente)

Former Scotland internationals Rob McKinnon and Scott Booth both represented Twente and became popular figures during their time at the club. Their spells in the Netherlands helped strengthen the relationship between the club and Scottish football.

Twente have also developed an unusual connection with Stranraer. Despite being separated by hundreds of miles and belonging to different football cultures, the Dutch club has an official supporters’ association based in the Scottish town.

The supporters’ group, known as the Stranraer Tukker Clan, has become an important part of the relationship between Twente and Scotland. The friendship between supporters helped establish a remarkable bond that continues to this day.

Twente highlighted that connection when explaining the inspiration behind the new tartan shirt. The club pointed to the Scottish players who became well-known and highly regarded among supporters in Enschede during the 1990s.

“Scottish players such as Rob McKinnon and Scott Booth became hugely popular in Enschede in the 1990s,” the club explained.

The relationship also worked in the opposite direction. Dutch goalkeeper Theo Snelders made the journey from the Netherlands to Scotland earlier in his career, joining Aberdeen before later moving to Rangers.

His career helped provide another link between Scottish football and Twente, adding another layer to the relationship that has developed between the two football communities.

Twente also referred to the friendship created by supporters more than two decades ago. A group of FC Twente fans in Stranraer developed a strong connection with the Dutch club, eventually leading to the creation of the official Scottish supporters’ association.

The club described the relationship as a unique friendship that has continued to grow over the years. What began with supporters has developed into an official connection between Twente and Scotland.

The Dutch club believes the relationship now extends beyond football and reflects a shared sense of friendship and culture between the two places.

“Scotland and FC Twente are becoming increasingly closely linked in terms of friendship and culture,” the club said.

Twente then used a phrase that perfectly captured the thinking behind the new design, adding: “we’re cut from the same cloth.”

That idea ultimately became the inspiration for the tartan strip. Rather than simply introducing an alternative kit, Twente wanted the shirt to represent the special relationship they have developed with Scotland.

The launch campaign also brought the connection to life by featuring McKinnon in a video filmed in Stranraer. The former Twente player returned to the Scottish setting as part of the announcement, providing a direct link between his playing career in the Netherlands and his Scottish roots.

McKinnon’s career makes him particularly suitable for the project. The former Motherwell player spent two seasons with Twente before eventually returning to Scotland, where he joined Hearts.

His time in Enschede helped establish his connection with the Dutch club, while his later return to Scottish football further underlined the relationship that Twente wanted to celebrate through the new shirt.

Scott Booth is another important figure in the story. The former Aberdeen striker spent four years with Twente and became a popular player during his time in the Netherlands.

Booth also enjoyed a significant achievement with the club, helping Twente win the Dutch Cup in 2001. His success there further strengthened the historical connection between the club and Scottish football.

The tartan design therefore represents much more than a fashion choice for Twente. It reflects decades of football connections, shared experiences and friendships involving players, supporters and communities.

With McKinnon featuring in the launch video and the Stranraer Tukker Clan continuing its association with the club, the new shirt provides a visible celebration of a relationship that has developed in an unexpected but meaningful way.

The fact that the strip almost immediately sold out suggests supporters have embraced the concept. For Twente, the tartan shirt offers a way to celebrate Scottish influence while reminding fans of the unusual friendship that exists between Enschede and Stranraer.

It is a fitting tribute to the players and supporters who helped build the connection and ensure that the links between FC Twente and Scotland remain strong today.