Gaizka Mendieta is a Spanish footballer who played midfielder for Valencia CF and Middlesbrough.

In 2008 Mendieta finished his 17 year long career on the pitch.  Still living near Middlesbrough he is now (amongst other things) setting up a charity to help teenage footballers improve as players.

The shoot itself took place in his home town.   It was a case of turning up and looking around for a good backdrop for the shoot.  I came across a garden with a football goal in it and asked the friendly northerner who's house it was if I could do the shoot there.  in the distance behind the goal was the railway arches that we all know from the Northern countryside.