HATTERS will be heading out to warmer climes next week when they fly to Portugal for a five-day pre-season training camp, writes Mike Simmonds.
The Town squad will fly out on Sunday, heading to the same place in the Algarve they went to at the start of the 2010-11 season.
Assistant boss Alan Neilson said: “Some people say it’s a holiday, but it’s not, it’s a training camp, we’re going there to get fit.
“Some days we’ll have four sessions and the hotel is two and half miles from the training facility, so we can bike there too.
“It’s great for team spirit as the lads spend some time away together to get that bond.”
Hatters might take an un-named trialist who has been training with them for the trip, as Neilson continued: “The squad for Portugal hasn’t been finalised yet, but if we do have a trialist, it’s got to be the right player, not just for the sake of it.
“We’ve still got the likes of Newman Carney and Alasan Ann though, so I’m sure we’ll have a few people who want to push on.”
Town’s squad returned to training on Monday and Neilson has been impressed with how it’s gone so far.
He said: “They’ve been absolutely superb and are knitting together nicely.
“They’re in good shape as the players are professional and keep themselves fit in the off-season.
“We do two sessions, morning is gym work and a little bit of running, and then afternoon we do ball work.
“We had the balls out on the first day.
“All the players, as soon as that ball comes out, a smile comes to their face, its easier to run about.
“They all want to play with the football, but we have to do the base work first.”
It’s a much-changed squad at Kenilworth Road with 13 players leaving and six coming in, but Neilson has been impressed with the additions.
He added: “The two strikers (Jon Shaw and Scott Rendell) get more of the headlines, but they’re all really good players.
“They’re winners too. Ronnie Henry almost had three promotions in three years, he seems a pretty strong character.
“We know we need to get that one spot and not go through the play-offs, so it’s exciting times.”
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