As a huge football fan brought up on the terraces of Burnley’s Turf Moor, Creative Consultant Aitor Throup tells journalist Chris Hunt just how thrilling it has been to be involved with the design of the new England kit.

Chris: What was the first England kit that made an impact on you?

Aitor: “There are probably two. I don’t know when I would have come to know the images of 1966 – probably not as early on as I would have been subjected to the kits that were around at the time – but as I became more interested in football, I came to know the iconic image of Bobby Moore with the Jules Rimet trophy. To me that then became the ultimate kit. It’s both the ultimate style icon and the ultimate football icon – probably globally! It’s an incredibly timeless design.”

Chris: What about shirts from the more recent period?

Aitor: “In contemporary terms, I like the shirt from 2005, with the cross of St George inserted into the seaming, which was a really nice way to integrate and embed an English national emblem into the construction of the garment. I think that was really beautiful.”

Chris: As a big football fan, what did it mean to you to be asked to work on the design of the new England kit?

Aitor: “I can’t find the words to describe what it means to me. Spending time with all the players was a thrill but it was really hard because the whole project was secret. When I got back home I really wanted to tell all my mates about it, tell them that I was working on the design of the new England kit, but I couldn’t because I had to keep it all secret.”

Chris: How does it feel to be involved with the design of the most innovative England strip in living memory?

Aitor: “It’s a huge honour. When I was asked to be involved in the process, and asked for my input at a conceptual level, it was quite unbelievable really. But in terms of realising what it means to me, I think I’ll only be able to fully answer that once it’s out there in the public domain.”

Chris: You mean that it will finally sink in when you see thousands of fans wearing the shirt in the stands of Wembley Stadium?

Aitor: “Exactly, and obviously when the players are wearing it too. Particularly with this kit, because of the way we’re trying to redirect Umbro as a brand – really going back to not just its heritage but the heritage of English football. The exciting thing and probably the unique proposition of what we’re doing is the equal relevance of performance and style. This is a product that we’re making feel equally innovative and equally new and equally desirable, both in a performance context and on the terraces.”

Chris: The way the new shirt is going to be revealed to the world is very much in keeping with your own distaste for showing your work on the catwalk. The new England kit will be revealed in a performance context.

Aitor: “That’s right, the big global reveal. No-one will see the shirt until the players take off the Anthem Jacket before the game against Slovakia on March 28. I think the big thing is that with a brand like Umbro, with the history that it has, and with a new product that has as much integrity and honesty as this new England kit possesses, you just don’t need the smoke and the catwalk to unveil it.”

As been as being creative consultant on the new England shirt, Charlie Allen was also responsible for the new Anthem Jackets that the players will wear for the pre-match presentations. Tomorrow, he tells football journalist Chris Hunt how proud he will feel when the players first walk onto the turf of Wembley Stadium wearing them on March 28.