3/1 To Win
As is usually the case, behind every great campaign is a tough pre-season.
For most players, the build-up to the new campaign means double sessions and lot of running but for David Nugent, it is an opportunity for him to start his own 2017/18 season off on the right foot.
“I don’t mind it to be honest,” the 32-year-old forward told RamsTV when talking about the prospect of tackling another pre-season.
“The harder the pre-season, the better it is for me. That’s because you want to be as fit as possible going into the season.
“We did a fitness test before the last game of the season, so our levels could be looked at closely, and that wasn’t nice! We were tested to the maximum so from that, we know what to expect over pre-season.
“Personally, though, I am looking forward to it.”
Since his days with Bury at the very infancy of his career, it goes without saying that the routines and game itself have changed drastically to make way for a new scientific approach.
Does Nugent think that’s made pre-season easier, though?
“I wouldn’t say it’s not as tough, but it is certainly more controlled,” he explained.
“Back in the day at Bury we would be out on the tracks on the first day doing 400, 800 and 1,500 metre runs – you wouldn’t see a football for ages!”
With the players set to return for work at the end of this month to begin the preparations for 2017/18, a fresh approach from Gary Rowett is sure to reinvigorate the squad.
Nugent will be hoping to impress early on in order to endure a healthy, full campaign.
He was a near-ever present following Rowett’s appointment in March, starting seven out of nine and missing just one match due to injury.
Nugent explained: “I want to be fit for the whole season and play a full 46-game campaign. I have not done that for quite a while now.
“I only played half a season when I first joined so it will be nice to be fit from the start, play as much as possible and score more goals.“
