Hills, drills and thrills! Excitement ramps up for new season as players return for pre-season training tonight

Ady Pennock talks to Gareth Morgan about his pre-season plans

Ady Pennock’s new-look squad returns to Princes Park tonight for their first training session – with excitement already building for the 25/26 season.

Players can expect a gruelling month ahead as the manager and coaching staff put the players through their paces to ensure they are in the best possible shape to go one better than last year.

Timed running sets, physical assessments and gym work, followed by a notorious hill run session, are on the itinerary for the first week.

But for Ady, this is about more than just fitness – it’s a time for bonding and reducing the chances of muscular injuries across the season, too. 

He said: “The first couple of weeks are about injury prevention. We put lots of miles in their groins, calves, glutes and thighs. 

“It’s not about running for no reason. Preventing injuries down the line is so important.

“It’s tough, I’m not going to lie. But whatever club I’ve been at, my injury record is excellent. You can’t help an ACL or a kick, but you can prevent a lot of injuries and that’s what these first few weeks are all about.”

Fitness and strengthening coach Neil Withington – a member of Ady’s close-knit backroom team – is devising the players’ fitness training programmes again, having worked with the manager at a number of clubs and towards the end of his playing career.

Neil has two Masters – one in sports and rehab and the other, strength and conditioning – owns a fitness club and supports a number of professional footballers in the Premiership, Championship and League One, on a one-to-one basis.

He monitors the players during tests to determine their fitness levels, repeating the process across pre-season to measure progress. Urine tests will be conducted to ensure players are hydrating, with dehydration a common cause of muscle injury, while body fat will also be measured.

Neil will also run aerobic capacity tests, acceleration and deceleration tests and power tests. From these scores, the players will be set runs and individual programmes. They will also be given individual weight programmes for pre-season and beyond.

The new signings of forward Dan Smith, defender Ben Frempah and goalkeeper Jonny Henley, will be introduced to the squad, while a number of trialists will be given a chance to prove their worth over the coming weeks.

On Saturday, Ady and the coaching staff take the players to Epping Forest where they will be taken for the first of a series of hill-run sessions.

Ady continued: “The hill-run sessions over the next few weeks are really hard, but great for injury prevention and to get the players up to speed. A lot of Premier League players do similar sessions for injury prevention. They are also really good for team bonding. The players all get a chance to work together and get to know each other.”

Ady will also bring a large number of Academy players into the fold over the coming weeks, with opportunities for them to shine in pre-season matches.

He said: “We will have the Academy boys with us, it’s really important for them and us. It gives them the chance to see what they need to do to get in the squad, but us the opportunity to see who might feature for us more prominently.

“We did the same last season with Deano, Jez, Joseph and others, so we are hoping to see a few of the younger ones go on similar paths.

“I always say, if they are good enough, it doesn’t matter how old they are, they will be given the chance to play. I have always been one to give younger players opportunities and it has worked out really well.”

Ady is welcoming a number of triallists to training tonight, covering a number of positions and playing levels.

But he’s delighted with the work going on to help him put together his squad for the new season.

He added: “I have a figure in my head of how many more I want to sign and the triallists and Academy players have a good chance to show me they deserve to be part of the squad, as well.

“I’ve been really busy meeting players up and down the country. I’ve not been able to have a holiday yet, as there’s been so much to do to prepare for the season. As always, I’m still in talks with a number of players which we will see how they develop as the next few weeks go on. 

“I’m level-headed about it. But it’s really positive. I’ve very, very pleased with what I have now and already looking forward to the season.”

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