Being successful in sport is not just an individual effort, there is so often a huge team behind individual success. The Premier League asked me to capture this story for them about Everton star Ross Barkley.
I met Ross in the Everton changing rooms on a busy day for him, it was the new kit day press day and there were photoshoots all over the place, Ross was being dragged from one photographer to the next so it was a good challenge getting him to relax in front of my lens. We got our five minutes with him before he was whisked off to his next appointment of the day. Once that whirlwind was over we headed off to a more relaxed afternoon at Finch Farm, the Everton academy. I had a great time exploring the place and capturing images of the people who help make the next generation of footballers. From the friendly lady at the front desk who is always eager to help fix a problem to the man who washes vast quantities of dirty football kits every day - everyone plays an essential role in nurturing talent. It was wonderful to be able to capture these people's portraits alongside that of one of the star footballers they helped develop.
Read Ross’s story and find out more about the academy here:
http://stories.premierleague.com/2015-16/football/excelling-in-an-elite-environmentLabels: academy, everton, finch farm, football, premier league, ross barkley, team, training