AN AWARD-winning hairdresser is heading to Russia to give the England squad a cutting edge.

Burnley hairdresser Simon Townley has been hand-picked for the national L’Oreal artists team, and he’ll be heading out to Russia on Tuesday to keep a group of players nicely coiffed during the tournament.

The salon owner, who runs Simon Townley Hair on St James's Street, Burnley, has flown out to Russia for five days and will be styling the hair of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones and Jack Butland's hair. Simon will be hoping to fly back to Russia later if England reach the quarter finals.

The 32-year-old, who lives in Brunshaw, has been cutting hair professionally since he was 18 and is now running his own hair salon in Burnley.

Simon, who was cutting the hair of Burnley reserve players seven years ago, said he put it down to 'luck' that he has made it to where he is today.

The former Fisher More High School student said: "A lot of luck was involved as well as talent.

"I started with hairdressing for a couple of kids that were Burnley reserve players as well as the kit men at Tur Moor and players in higher ranks - which is when people started to notice me.

"The luck came when Burnley got promoted to the Premier League and clients got sold to Liverpool and Southampton and they stuck with me, like Danny Ings."

The father-of-three, who lives with his wife Tracy and three sons, was flown out to Chantilly in France for the Euros in 2016, which is 40 miles north of Paris, after one of his clients,Tom Heaton, invited him out.

The hairdresser only went out to do Tom Heaton's hair but ended up doing Gary Cahill, Fraser Forster, Phil Jones and Joe Hart's.

This year Simon is booked in to work with Pope, Cahill, Jones and Jack Butland and hopes to work with other players while he is out there.

Simon said: "I’m so excited to get to St Petersburg and see the city as I believe it is beautiful, but mainly just get my head down and do my job which I love doing.

“When I arrive in Russia I will text a few of the boys let them know what days I’m available for the cuts again.

"Then I’ll be added to the guest list for the England camp where I’ll do the haircuts - and I believe there is an onsite salon for me.

"This is something I have set myself a goal for years ago and years ago after I saw an article of another English hairdresser flying to Brazil in 2014 to cut the hair of the England squad.

"It opened my eyes to a world outside of this wand wanted to be a part of that and I have managed to reach it."

The Brunshaw man, who will be staying in a hotel near the England base in Repino about 45 mins outside of St Petersburg, will be recording several live videos from Russia to share on social media and before and after videos of his haircuts will be watching some of the football matches out there.