Rapper Aitch explains ‘Big Shell’ meaning behind viral Glastonbury leak of Man Utd home kit

Pyramid Stage performer Aitch caught the attention of Manchester United fans during his Glastonbury Festival performance over the weekend as he donned next season's Red Devils shirt days before its unveiling on June 27.

The 23-year-old is an outspoken Manchester United fan having been born and raised in the city and has opened up about friendships with Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard when speaking to the club's website.

As he impressed at the famous British music festival on Saturday, it appeared that Aitch had been gifted next year's kit days early to promote as his performance to tens of thousands was live streamed on the BBC.

The new-look United kit featured the number 40 and 'Big Shell' on the back.

Before pulling the shirt on, Aitch picked out a Glasontbury-goer wearing a Manchester City top and said: "You there, in the Man City top. You're not gonna like me after this."

After pausing to put the kit on, the rapper returned to the crowd and added: "Security! Can we get him out, please? The man in the City top, can we get him out please? I'm only joking! Don't start walking towards him!"

A few fans may have been left stumped by Atich's nickname 'Big Shell', but in a 2020 interview the BRIT Award winner explained: "So big shell is like… have you ever heard someone say, “I’m going to shell it.” Or, “Yeah, man. You shelled it.” Have you heard that? No?

"Yeah. So it’s like if I go into grimes now, and I’m just spinning everyone, and I’m murking it and I’m getting hundreds of reloads, everyone in the room will go, 'Nice. Shelled it. He shelled the the mic. He just shelled it down,' or whatever. Or, 'Yo, he’s shelling it.'

"Do you know what I mean? That’s just what it is. I don’t know where that word comes from. It not even a Manchester thing, it’s like a UK thing. Man shelled it. Whereas I just believe that I shell it the most, but then I thought, 'I am the shell.' So it’s Big Shell. You know what I’m saying?"

The new Manchester United shirt features black details on the collar, Adidas stripes on the shoulders and flanks, as well as a subtle Lancashire rose pattern across the jersey.

As often is the case with kit reveals, fans online were split by the new design. Some praised it as 'the best home kit in the last couple of seasons' while others wrote that the top was a 'disaster'.

One football fan wrote: "I don't like Aitch, or Man Utd, but that is a fine example of great PR. Hats off to the team."