Ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Saturday, England manager Gareth Southgate decided to put his squad through a little extra intensive training over the weekend.
Indeed, the England players spent 48 hours with the Royal Marines at their Commando Training Centre in Devon.
Harry Kane, Joe Hart and the rest of the team had their mobile phones confiscated before being made to endure fully-laden, four-mile hikes, underwater assault courses and an overnight survival camping excursion.
An incredible experience for the #ThreeLions.
A post shared by England (@england) on
Proving he was just as game as his players. Southgate himself also got involved -- with England's official Twitter account duly posting photos of the boss emerging from a waterlogged tunnel.
An unforgettable experience for the #ThreeLions.
Thanks for hosting us, @CommandoTRG. pic.twitter.com/sHrEsK2qOm
- England (@England) June 5, 2017
"We wanted to come and put the guys into a different environment, something they weren't expecting," Southgate said. "We wanted to expose the guys to an elite environment with one of the elite forces in the world. We wanted them to see that there's another world out there."
Colonel Mike Tanner, commandant of the commando training centre, was pleased with what he saw from England and hopes to work with them again in the future.
"It has been a real pleasure," he said. "They threw themselves into every challenge with enthusiasm and good humour.
"The Royal Marines and England football team have much in common and the opportunity to share experience was valuable for us all. "We are confident that this will be the start of a long and successful relationship."