Wednesday 23 May 2018 07:39, UK
England's players have said 'goodbye' to their families as their World Cup training camp is underway.
The majority of the squad arrived at the leafy St George's Park base in Derbyshire knowing they will only get a few, sporadic days off before they all fly out to Russia on June 12.
Gareth Southgate is aiming to create a relaxed atmosphere in camp and it's evident when you arrive, with players freely walking around the hotel before hitting the gym.
One player missing out on that start-of-term feeling is Raheem Sterling. The Manchester City forward has asked for a couple of days extra leave to deal with a personal matter, which has been granted by Southgate.
One thing that is noticeable is the restricted menu at the on-site Starbucks. Clearly a chai tea latte goes against the players' strict diet and there are only two frappes on the menu. There clearly are not many cheat days allowed when a World Cup is on the line.
The players were put through their first full training session today, unsurprisingly after a long season, there were a few absent faces.
Kyle Walker and John Stones trained indoors, Tom Heaton, who has only just returned from a serious injury, will join the squad next week, and Lewis Cook has boarded a flight to France with the U21s.
In their place, two young players clearly delighted to be training with the senior squad. Angus Gunn, who was actually on the bench against Brazil in November, trained with the 'keepers, while highly-rated Chelsea teenager Mason Mount was given the opportunity to show why many are talking about him having a breakthrough season next year.
This pathway is exactly what Gareth Southgate is trying to achieve. Highlight the next generation of talent, get them used to playing with senior players, make them believe they are good enough and throw them into the squad when they have enough Premier League experience.
It's what happened with Trent Alexander-Arnold. He trained with the senior squad during the last international break, fewer than three months later he's part of the senior set-up going to the World Cup and his call-up is not seen as a risk as the management know all about his abilities and temperament.
It's more proof that this squad is very much one for the future. Gareth Southgate is refusing to write off his team's chances in Russia but admits Mount, Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden of Manchester City could be six months away from a senior call-up if they play well for their clubs.
The average age of the squad going to Russia is just over 26, the signs are that will get lower after the summer.
