Michael Keane and Vitalii Mykolenko are playing chess in the Everton dressing room. Both defenders are studying the board. Their teammate Merlin Röhl has his camera out. The photograph is one of the quieter moments in Behind the Lens: Life with Everton, a book the German midfielder photographed, wrote and edited himself.
Röhl took up photography during a spell out injured. By the time he arrived on loan from Freiburg in 2025, he had a way to record his first year in England as he lived it. At Finch Farm, he photographed his teammates between training sessions and during recovery. Away from the club, he took his camera on walks through Liverpool’s streets and parks and out to the beaches of Merseyside.
It took a little time for the players to get used to having a camera in the dressing room. Knowing the person behind it helped. Speaking with the BBC, Röhl said, “I have a good relationship with all my teammates and that helps a lot to get some nice pictures.”
For the cover, Röhl chose a photograph of the supporters. He took it through the window of the team coach as Everton approached Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Chelsea. Fans lined Regent Road, with flags above their heads and blue smoke hanging in the air. It’s a familiar matchday scene for Evertonians, seen from the players’ side of the glass.
Some of the proceeds will support the Everton Multi Academy Trust. The book costs £15, plus postage and packing for online orders. Copies are also available from the Everton One and Everton Two stores and around Hill Dickinson Stadium on matchdays.
Buy Behind the Lens: Life with Everton from Everton FC.
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