Due to the unrelenting schedules players have, it's rare to get the chance to take them 'off-site' to get photographs in different locations.

So when one of our talented photography team - Tom Flathers - pitched a shoot at Manchester’s iconic Heaton Park with Julian Alvarez shortly before the end of the 2023/24 season, our Argentine ace was only too happy to squeeze in some time.

Bigger than Hyde Park in London and only a few acres less than New York’s Central Park (OK, 200 or so acres smaller!), Heaton Park is a source of great pride to Mancunians.

Once the host of horse racing - later relocating to Aintree - Heaton Park has a boating lake, golf course and the historic Heaton Hall.

It has also hosted huge concerts for Oasis, The Stone Roses and has been the home of the Manchester Park Life festival since 2013.

So, what better backdrop to take Julian and get some stunning photography?

Here’s the results...