Looking back at 2017 I had some pretty amazing experiences which can't fail to include my trips to Hong Kong and India with the Premier League. In October, I was commissioned to photograph the story of the Premier League's visit to Bangalore, and over four days my assistant and I set about seeking out stories of grass-roots football, super fans, footballing communities and also the experience of the 'Premier League Live' showing live games on amazingly big screens. It was an intense trip but fully rewarding, from back streets, to footballing legends running masterclasses, to night-time big-screen showings. Thanks to Kate Staniford who assisted me and played a huge role in finding these photographs.
To find our grass-roots stories we travelled to two remote locations where football is at the heart of the community. Football takes children off the rough streets and gives them a real purpose in a safer environment. Both were stunning locations, one in particular was surrounded by huge birds of prey feeding on scraps of meat after prayers:
Within the 'Live' experience, special guests such as Alan Shearer and Robert Pires were at the heart of the action:
The fans:
Hong Kong, back in July, is easily the most humid place I've ever been to! The Premier League took four teams over to showcase footballing talent in the Premier League Asia Trophy knockout tournament. From coaching courses and press interviews to fans experiencing the games, I got stuck in to scouting interesting stories around the Premier League's visit.
