‘It’s what we need’ – Spurs star admits players are enjoying Conte’s intense training

Ben Davies has revealed that he and his Tottenham teammates are enjoying the gruelling training sessions under Antonio Conte.

The Italian has made it clear in his interviews that he is prioritising improving the physical condition of the players so they can fulfil the demands of his system.

Previous reports indicated that the 52-year-old had made drastic changes to the player’s diets and training regimes within his first week at the club.

Davies, who has started every single Premier League game since Conte’s arrival, said the tough training sessions brought in by Conte and his coaching staff are exactly what the squad needed.

When asked about the training sessions under the Italian, Davies told The Athletic: “It’s very tough but it’s what we need. It was one of his main messages when he came in.

“We knew we needed to improve and his attitude is we have to be the best in the aspects that we can control, and physicality is definitely something we can control.

“We’re covering a much greater distance in training, and there are a number of markers the sports scientists look for — be it high intensity, running, sprint distance, getting your heart rate above 85 per cent.

“All these numbers are what you need to do on the training pitch to improve and be in tip-top shape when it comes to match day, and the training is set up for us to reach those numbers.

“If that includes a little top up, a little bit of extra running at the beginning or end of a session, then we’ve done that.”

During the international break last month, it was reported that Conte had put the players who remained at Hotspur Way through a ‘mini pre-season’ with several days of double sessions.

Davies was not part of that group during the two weeks as he was away on international duty with Wales but the 28-year-old insisted the players are happy to work their socks off as all of them are keen to improve.

When asked about the training regime during the international break, he said: “The boys had some really gruelling sessions. A few videos came through of how they were feeling but actually we realised we were missing it.

“As professional athletes, we got to where we are by working hard, so getting that standard back is where we want to be. We’re enjoying the hard work.

“Everybody wants that feeling of competitiveness, the sense that they’re always improving.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I am always sceptical when fans accuse players of being lazy or lacking desire. Those are easy criticisms to make and are wide off the mark more often than not as players do not get to this level without being incredibly driven to succeed, no matter how talented they are.

So, when we were putting up poor numbers in terms of distance covered earlier this season and parts of last campaign, that clearly had more to do with the systems and the regimes in place rather than an attitude problem.

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