Mon 02 Jul - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 3mins
Derby County academy checked in for pre-season this morning and Darren Wassall’s message as they took to the pitch for the first time was ‘go out and make an impression.’
The Under-23 squad began their morning with fitness tests before their first training session of the pre-season.
After a thrilling end to last season, retaining their Premier League 2 Division 1 status for the 2018/19 season in the final match, the Academy Director said his players fully deserved a break and a chance to recharge.
They were sent away with individualised training programmes and today picked straight up where they left off a few weeks ago.
Wassall told RamsTV: “It’s great to be back, it doesn’t seem five minutes since we broke up but everyone is raring to go and looking forward to the new season.
“It’s vital that they got a bit of a break. The amount of effort they put in to last season, they deserve to get all the break that they can get.
“They have had five or six weeks off, not completely stopping training, they have all had programmes away from here and have come back very fit and well.”
Pre-season is designed to be tough and build up fitness to carry them through the next nine months. But for the academy it’s also a chance for the players to prove themselves capable of making the next step up.
Timi Elsnik, Jayden Bogle and Luke Thomas are on the first-team’s trip to Tenerife after making an impression last season. Wassall hopes this will provide an incentive to the others to force their way into senior football.
“It’s a clean slate here for everyone with a new manager and we have said to everyone ‘go out and make an impression,’” Wassall said.
“We have first-year scholars who have started their first day as full-time players so they are a bit apprehensive and nervous but also excited.
“We have got the second-year scholars and 23s players who have seen it all before, but we have reiterated that if they make an impression in these five, six weeks, then who knows where that will take them?”
The Under-23s will have two weeks before they can test out their training in pre-season games and work on match fitness.
A return to Spain and an opportunity to defend the Steve Bloomer trophy against Real Union on July 28th is the standout meeting and Wassall is hoping this week’s heatwave will help their preparations.
“We have Real Union coming up, it was a great game last October and we are delighted to be going back there.
“It will be different conditions in terms of the heat. We went in October last year and the weather was quite kind to the players and I think this time it will be a real test, I think it will suit the Real Union players more than ours.
“But we are really looking forward to meeting them again and playing against a very competitive side. There’s a few games before that but I think that will be our standout game of the pre-season.”
The 2018/19 season is now within reach and the Under-23s will be looking to dominate in the best division of Premier League 2 as one of only two Championship sides competing against Premier League powerhouses.
Wassall added: “We have said all along that one of the reasons we wanted to be a Category One club was so we were mixing with the big boys and the best clubs in the county.
“With that, it brings us European competition as well. It is important that we are able to compete against the best in the country as well as see what Europe and the rest of the world has to offer.
“It is a great testament to all the players that in the last two seasons being in this league we have not only survived but produced some stunning performances, both individually and collectively.”
