It is mid-afternoon on a scorched soccer field in Westwood, Los Angeles. The Hollywood Hills and its famous sign are visible through the summer haze. Next door is the Pierce Brothers Memorial Park, resting place of Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin.
But this is not glamorous. An out-of-contract Premier League footballer is tied to a goal-post. He is fighting the urge to vomit. For 15 minutes he has been resisting the elasticated rope around his waist and sprinting to the halfway-line, jogging back before repeating the drill.
And this is merely the warm-up. Only later does the football emerge.