Uhlsport Behind the scenes photo-shoot with Pepe Reina and Jussi Jaaskelainen

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Last week great-save.com’s Martin Sanders went behind-the-scenes at Uhlsport’s Goalkeeper Photo-shoot in Liverpool.

It was about 5 weeks ago that great-save.com had an email from Paul Sherratt of Uhlsport inviting us to a photo-shoot with two of the Premierships best goalkeepers, to say we were excited was an understatement. When we read that Pepe Reina and Jussi Jaaskelainen were to be there we booked a flight to Liverpool within minutes.

When an opportunity like this presents itself we like to get you our customers and friends involved. We gave you the chance to send us your questions, many fans of great-save.com flooded our inbox with emails for both Pepe and Jussi.

We now want to share our day and insight into our big day away and what we got up to.

Martin Sanders of great-save.com & greatsave.tv had the pleasure of this trip and below he talks though the day.

“It was an early start for me, based on the Isle of Wight I felt the best and easiest way was to fly to Liverpool. I set off from home at 6.40am, it was extreemly cold with the temperature well below freezing, the car need to be de-iced. I headed for Cowes where there is a hi speed boat to Southampton. I got the 7.15am hi speed which got me to Southampton for about 7.45am. It was then a case of getting to the Airport at Eastleigh a short bus ride and a short train journey to the Airport.

My flight left for Liverpool at 9.30, so excited to be meeting with two such great goalkeepers, as a goalkeeper enthusiast as many of our fans I was quite nervous as any of you would have been.

Touch-down at  Liverpool John Lennon Airport was about 10.20am I was kindly picked up by Paul Sherratt of Uhlsport UK, below Paul joined greatsave.tv to talk us though the plans for the day as well as a chat about the Uhlsport brand.

As Paul was saying we headed for Pepe’s golf club, on arrival and parking the car in the car park Pepe was in sight, he was kitted in Uhlsport’s 2011 kit which looked fantastic .

We headed down to where the guys were doing a photo-shoot. Pepe was in a golf bunker taking shots with his golf club on a football.  As Paul was saying the idea was to shoot the players using their hobbies as a part of the shoot.

We were all kindly looked after by the golf clubs grounds man who is a friend of Pepe and was kind enough to get everyone a nice warm coffee and it was my first chance to meet the stopper. Andy of Uhlsport introduced us and showed Pepe the great-save.com New Season Releases catalogue where Pepe was the main focus. “I like this said the Liverpool Legend”

Pepe went on to speak about the weekends game where Liverpool travel to Spurs, “not an easy one is it!” Spurs had only last night qualified for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a fine win over Werder Bremen. Two of the guys who were taking the Photo-Shoot both German were disappointed at the result.

I went on and asked Pepe how long Steven Gerrard was to be out for, he said he thought it would be for another 2 weeks or so and what a blow it was to lose their Captain.

It was back to the shoot on the golf course where the guys finished off their last few shots of Pepe.

We all then went  back to the club house where I had a chat with the clubs grounds man a keen golfer and huge Liverpool fan. He was telling me how he played golf with Pepe most weeks “he is a top golfer” “Joe Hart is also a member here at the club so I often go around the course with him too” “only last week I had done a round with Pepe as we finished Joe was about to start so I did the course again with Joe” Can’t be a bad life can it!! So who is the best I asked? “Hard one he said they are both good, Joe is young and still learning he really does hit a ball hard, he looked across to Pepe who was loading his car up with his clubs and said Pepe just edges it”

We then headed for the warm club house where we were hoping to get a few words with Pepe. Indeed we did and Pepe signed us a pile of postcards and I got my chance to ask your questions. Log on to blog.great-save.com later this week to see the full Q&A with the World Cup Winner.

As Pepe left we shook hands with him and wished him all the best for the season ahead, as he left it was not long before Jussi Jaaskelainen walked through the door, followed by Jan Mucca of Everton.

The first thing to strike me was the height of the Bolton stopper. It was not long before we got chatting with Jussi. What a great guy he is too.

It was time for Mukka to head out for his photo-shoot, I decided to stay in the warm club house and asked Jussi  if he was ok to answer your questions. He was more than pleased to do so and gave us some great answers. Log on to blog.great-save.com later this week to read our full Q&A with the Bolton stopper.

After the interview we got Jussi to sign us some post cards. Jan Mucca was now back and it was time for Jussi to head out for his photo-shoot.

I had a quick chat with Jan however his English is not great so I felt it was not best to start asking loads of questions.

I headed out with Jussi, Paul and the rest of the Uhlsport team for the photo-shoot with the Bolton stopper. The Uhlsport team had him with some lovely backdrops of the surrounding area. Jussi was kitted in some stunning new Uhlsport gear. Wearing the new Pro Fangmachine Roll UK Exclusive I was quick to ask what his thoughts were on the glove? “It’s a really nice glove, the roll finger cut is what I like and the glove is a great looking glove too, a nice simple colour-way which I think looks really nice, the fit great too” “when can I start wearing these Paul asked Jussi?”  “They are available in the UK from February onwards I think we may be able to get you in these for January” replied Paul  of Uhlsport.

The photo-shoot ended as the light was fading and Jussi offered to drive us back up to the club house in the golf buggy. The ride down to the photo location saw Uhlsports Paul have some trouble with the golf buggy steering which saw myself and Uhlsport’s Andy smash into a bank. Paul said the steering was faulty though none of us would believe him at the time. Jussi said maybe best if I dive you guys back up! After a few minutes Jussi said he is right the steering is knackered.

The day was nearing an end; I shook hands with Jussi and thank him and Uhlsport for allowing us to behind-the-scenes access at their Photo-shoot. Jussi now had to make tracks as he had to get home as he needed to take his eldest boy to football.

I then got a lift back to Manchester Airport where my flight was delayed by 2 hours. This gave me chance to get and type out my thoughts on the day and put this blog together.

After a 2 hour delay and long journey home I got in the door at midnight all in all a great day”.

For more exclusive behind the scenes photos please follow this link to our Flicker gallery

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