A new diner is preparing to open its doors in Manchester city centre, with a strong nod to one of the city's biggest industries - football.
The Portland Street restaurant will be the third Players site to open in Greater Manchester, with locations already established in Rochdale and Cheetham Hill.
Its football-inspired menu includes a Gold Medal Burger, an Aberdeen Angus beef burger wrapped in edible gold leaf and served inside a black charcoal bun.
The newest site will take over the former Creams dessert bar just off Piccadilly Gardens.
Visitors will be greeted by turf walls, Perspex-clad football shirts covered with footballers' signatures, and a sports-influenced menu of burgers, chicken wings and loaded cookie dough and waffle desserts.
Burgers on the fully Halal menu will include the Hat Trick (three beef patties, cheese and lettuce drizzled with sweet chilli sauce) and the Penalty Kick (fried chicken with red onion, jalapenos, tortilla chips, a hash brown and buffalo sauce).
Belgian waffles will be loaded with toppings like crushed Ferrero Rocher, fresh fruit, and ice cream, while cookie dough puddings include the Golden Boot (with Oreos, white Kinder Bueno, and white chocolate sauce) and the Solid Defence (Crunchie and Daim pieces).
The Portland Street site is expected to open mid-August, before the team moves on to yet another new opening on Deansgate.
Locations in Bury and Reading are also on the cards for this year.
Former Manchester United player Quinton Fortune made a special guest appearance at the opening of the Rochdale restaurant back in June last year.
Players will open at 1 Portland Street next month - you can see the menus at playersuk.com and follow for the latest updates on Facebook.
