England photographer Eddie Keogh with Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate and midfielder Jordan Henderson
There was a lot of talk about team spirit and that shone through like I’ve never seen before. This moment, where Ruben is sharing a joke with masseur Joel, epitomises what the mood in the camp was like throughout.
One of my favourite pictures, as it was after a game I used to play with my mates on holidays and at parties. On the count of three, it’s a race to the camera and you win if you get your face in most of the photos. The look on all of their faces says everything about this squad and their team spirit.
Harry had scored a hat-trick against Panama and he was carrying the match ball off the plane when we arrived back in St Petersburg at 5am in the morning. Hat-tricks at the World Cup are a rare thing so I couldn’t miss this opportunity and asked him to pose with the ball as he left the aircraft.
Believe it or not, this is a split-second portrait. I noticed Marcus leaning on the weight and quickly turned my camera onto him. Within a split second, he noticed me, gave me that look and then looked away. I got one frame but it’s as good as I could have asked if I’d had him there for 20 minutes.
When we arrived at St Petersburg airport, the players always head through first and I noticed that as they walked past the window I could also see the reflection of the team bus with the England flag down the side. It was a pretty hit or miss thing and I didn’t even see Gareth while I was taking the pictures, so this frame was a pleasant surprise when I started editing.
The ice bath is a necessary evil to help aching muscles and this was a nice moment the day after we beat Sweden, as Raheem posed with Dele.
Jamie Vardy was getting some specialist treatment in the pool for a groin strain from physiotherapist Simon Spencer. It made for quite an unusual picture.
The day after we lost to Croatia was a tough one for the players and management. The mood was really flat and I figured it wasn’t a day for me to be in their faces with my camera. But Kyle Walker was about to have a cryotherapy session and very kindly allowed me to take a few frames. It pretty much summed up the mood of the day, but more importantly this was a great example of the players' understanding that the story had to be told in the bad times just as much as the good times.
The Three Lions are back in action on home soil in September, with games against Spain and Switzerland. Tickets are on sale for both games now, so find out more and make sure you're there to welcome England back home after a memorable summer.
