Illustrating the New Ultimax with @misterdills
We spoke to digital designer and illustrator James Dillon (@misterdills), who took us inside his bright, bold, football-obsessed world—and how he brought the new Ultimax range to life.
The Ultimax has long been an icon of football culture. Now, reimagined with our most advanced performance technology ever and a striking new design, the latest Ultimax range marks a new chapter for an icon.
Moments like this deserve more than just a launch. A fresh perspective that captures not only how the ball performs, but how it feels to play, to watch, to live the game.
That’s where James comes in.
Based in York, James Dillon—better known as @misterdills—has built a distinctive visual style rooted in movement, energy and emotion. His work sits at the intersection of sport and storytelling, blending bold colour, expressive characters and the unmistakable rhythm of football culture. It’s a style shaped not just by observation, but by experience. A lifelong player, coach and fan, James doesn’t just illustrate football—he lives and breathes the game. A Real Football Person.
James Son’s team which he coaches, in their @misterdills kit. (photos by Brogan @broganphoto.uk)
That authenticity made him a natural fit. The Ultimax isn’t just another product; it’s a constant in the game, a ball that’s been present across generations of players and moments. James’ own story with the game: playing, coaching, and staying deeply connected to football - mirrors that same sense of legacy.
Together, it felt like the right moment for iconic design to meet an iconic designer.
From the top, tell us about you, what do you do?
I’m James and I'm an illustrator and designer from York, England.
How would you describe the role football plays in your life and creative process?
Football plays a huge role in my life and it has done for as long as I can remember. I played for a loooong time and through hard work and application, I got to a pretty decent level when I was younger. Unfortunately, injuries caught up with me and I had to retire from playing entirely a few years ago. By that point I'd already taken up grassroots coaching with my son’s team and now that is my outlet.
James Son’s team which he coaches, in their @misterdills kit. (photos by Brogan @broganphoto.uk)
In terms of my creative process, this project has been a bit of a journey of discovery! It only recently occurred to me that I started drawing more and more around football after I got injured. I guess I'm using my art to try and replace the joy of playing. I miss it terribly. However, I am due a big operation on my knee that might actually allow me to play again and that fills me with the hope that I don't need to hang my boots up just yet.
What came first for you, art or football?
Art, no question. My earliest memories are of drawing on anything I could. My mum is a really good painter and so growing up my brother and I were surrounded by creativity. And she always encouraged us to express ourselves through drawing and painting. Football came later for me and I had to work hard to get good at it. I was big for my age and so ended up playing centre back for most of my playing days. However, being creative, I wanted to be more than just a big lad at the back so I studied creative players and worked on adding skills that would allow me to be creative on the pitch.
James’ designs throughout the process.
Can you remember the moment you thought about merging illustration and football?
Yes. It was during lockdown. My son is a good footballer and he idolises Ronaldinho. It was a time where we were allowed out to exercise and we used to go to the park every day and practice. Not the fancy flicks and tricks, I was trying to instill the fundamentals in to him, trying to get him to understand that he needed to be able to do the basics well first and then build on that, step by step. It led to some frustration for us both but I was pretty strict and adamant that if he wanted to play like Ronaldinho, the foundations were important. I drew a picture for him to hang in his room to help inspire him and threw it up on Instagram.
What is it like working as a creative in the football space?
I love it. I get to work with and for some amazing people and have built relationships and friendships with people who have become special to me. It can also be challenging as time is always a rare commodity and creativity isn't just a tap you can switch in and off! But I wouldn't change it for anything.
James’ sketches.
You’ve shared that football is something that involves your whole family. What does that mean to you?
Our house is that same house that many people up and down the country will live in. Football kit always on the clothes maiden and a ball always in the kitchen! My son plays for a York Schoolboys on a Saturday, Osbaldwick juniors (the team I coach) on a Sunday and trains at Leeds United on a Friday. So he's playing 5 days a week. My daughter plays for Fulford (one of my old clubs) on a Saturday and her school team. I coach on a Sunday and lead training in a Thursday. So football pretty much dominates everything we do as a family. I'm blessed that both my kids love it so much. I've never had to try to get them in to it, they are both very good players in their own right and, given the choice, they'll always choose to go kick a ball about over everything else.
James Son’s team which he coaches, in their @misterdills kit. (photos by Brogan @broganphoto.uk)
And your connections to Mitre go way back?
Yeah, like I said this project has been a bit of a journey of discovery for me. I get to work on all sorts of briefs but working for Mitre made me realise something quite profound. I couldn't count the number of teams I've played for over my life in football. From junior football in to youth football and then in to men's and finally into veterans, playing sometimes three matches a week. I must have worn just about every colour strip going! and then there's the boots. I was a boot obsessive as a player, always wanting to try new boots that might make me more comfortable or give me an edge. I can't even estimate the amount of different boots I've had since I was a boy. An enormous amount of change.
But the balls I played with. They were always Mitre footballs. From the first ball I kicked in a competitive game to the last ball I kicked in a veterans Sunday league, it was a Mitre football.
It struck me that pretty much every memory I have of football, regardless of which team I was playing for, what level I was playing at, which kit I was wearing, which boots I had on my feet the one constant was a Mitre football. And when I take training tomorrow night, the lads that I try to teach the game to now will be learning it with a Mitre football at their feet. That is legacy right there and quite something when you consider how old I am!
Up close and personal to the real thing while working…
Do you have a favourite match, moment or player that shaped your connection to football?
Yeah, like I said I was a ‘functional’ player as a kid when I first started. I can remember getting a vhs as a kid one Christmas (I'm that old) of the World Cup greatest moments. There were all sorts of goals through the tournaments, Geoff hursts World Cup hattrick for example, something that we had all seen on the tv plenty of times. But the bit that jumped out to me was Netherlands v Sweden in 1974. The first time I saw Johan Cruyff bamboozle the Sweden right back with his eponymous 'Cruyff turn’ I was all in. That's who I wanted to be. He had long since retired when I was playing but that moment of deception, the thought process and flawless execution stuck with me. I wanted to play the game like he did. Pretty lofty ambitions to be honest but Cruyff inspired me to look at the sport differently as he has done to countless others.
If you could illustrate any moment in football history, which would you choose?
England winning the 2026 World Cup this summer. I'm manifesting right now!
Tell us about the design of the Ultimax Illustrations. What inspired your designs? Was it different from your normal style?
My style is quite graphic and moves in different directions. I like to mix characters and typography and try to create a sense of energy that you see and feel at a game. Football for me is about creativity. There are many ways to win a game, from cattenaccio to the will to just hang in there and repel all attacks to get it over the line. And as a defender, I love that aspect. But as a football fan, it's the moments of magic that inspire us and make it the greatest sport in the world. The rabonas, the screamers, the lobs, the dinks, the chips, the worldies. There is a whole language that football has created to help illustrate the moments that excite us and I wanted to incorporate that in to the work. The language of football.
The language of football, illustrated.
What about the new Ultimax range stands out to you?
As a coach, I buy Mitre balls because I have 100% faith in the brand. They are affordable, durable and reliable and I've seen some of the technical advances that have been made in construction of the Impel Evo. It's ridiculous how good they are for how little they cost. But these Ultimax’s. They are at a different level altogether.
I love the distinctive design and flowing lines of the graphic (which I've tried to incorporate in my character designs). When you hold it in hand and see the subtle embossing and hyper flow indentations, it feels just so premium. But the proof is in the strike and my lad just fell in love immediately. You just feel the difference immediately when you make contact with the ball.
My grassroots team move from size 4 to size 5 this summer, so we need to upgrade all of our balls. The Impel Evo will remain our training ball because of the incredible value for money they offer.
But we will be investing in the Ultimax Evo for our four match balls and praying they don't end up inside someone back garden inside 5 minutes. If I'm doing my coaching right, that shouldn't happen anyway should it?!
And lastly, what plans for the future are there for @misterdills? Any exciting projects coming up?
I'm working on a couple of things that are under NDA at the moment for the Summer that I'm super excited about and can't wait to share.
I'm also working with two close friends to bring to life a project called ’No Ball Games’ which we will be launching in the summer. We just want to create a place where football mad creatives like ourselves can work and collaborate under one banner. We are looking at clothing, screen prints, ceramics, vintage shirts, campaigns, collabs of all sorts really. All for the love of the beautiful game and with a view to bringing football mad creatives closer together. So watch this space!
A big thank you to James (@misterdills) for the interview and illustrating the new Ultimax range.
