Sterling, Shaw and Pickford star in football hero mural

Bristol-based artist Jody Thomas was commissioned to create the artwork by Sky Q

Three top English footballers have been depicted in a new aerosol artwork.

Bristol street artist, Jody Thomas, created the lifelike mural of the athletes, who all featured in the 2020 European Championships.

Raheem Sterling, Luke Shaw and Jordan Pickford were chosen by the public to feature in the design.

The mural, displayed on Tottenham High Road in London, was commissioned by Sky Q to celebrate the start of the new Premier League season.

"There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with it, of course," said Mr Thomas.

"I really enjoyed it and got some great feedback from people on the street.

"They knew immediately and pointed out 'that's Sterling, that's Pickford, that's Shaw', which was quite reassuring to me because I've nailed their likenesses, thank goodness."

He began painting in 1988 at the now infamous Barton Hill Youth club in Bristol and has exhibited across the world.

His work takes inspiration from fashion and film and has a strong, graphic take on photorealistic portraits.

The artwork, which took around 70 hours to complete, features more than 55 colours and shades.

The mural can be seen on Tottenham High Road near the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The bad weather only added to the challenge of creating the large mural in such a busy location.

"It was very intense as it took five days and I work from probably six in the morning until midnight.

"Unfortunately we battled some really horrendous weather conditions, monsoon-like conditions and water pouring down the walls, at times, but we finally got there."

The three footballers featured were voted for by fans, who chose their favourite players based on performances at EURO 2020.

The tournament took place earlier this summer and saw the national side put in its best performance for 55 years.