3/1 To Win
Settling into any new club can sometimes be tough, however, midfielder Graeme Shinnie has adapted well and is looking forward to learning under new Derby County boss Phillip Cocu.
The 27-year-old joined the Rams from Aberdeen on a free transfer following the conclusion of his contract north of the border.
Shinnie, whose brother Andrew plays for newly-promoted side Luton Town, has spent the last week getting to know his new team-mates as well as trying to impress his new manager.
The Scottish international has been hard at work in the Florida heat getting himself prepared for the new campaign and he is excited to be around the squad.
“I had the first few days at the training ground but I think the best thing for me was to come away here and spend a lot of time getting to know the boys,” he told RamsTV.
“It’s helped me settle in because they are a great bunch of boys and I’m feeling part of it now.
“The boys always make an effort to make you feel part of the group and the more time you spend with them then the closer you get.
“I’m finding it easier to find my feet and that is all credit to the boys.”
The heat and humidity at the club’s training base in Florida cannot be underestimated.
Running and sprinting in 37-degree heat takes some doing, but it’s all for the greater good as it prepares the players for the start of the Sky Bet Championship campaign, which is now less than a month away.
The new boss at the helm is Cocu, who managed PSV to three Eredivisie titles in five years, and Shinnie has been impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“The new manager has come in and has his own style that he likes to play,” he said.
“I wasn’t here last year so I’m not fully aware of how Frank Lampard and his staff worked but when a new manager comes in you always spend the first few days trying to get to know him and get to know how he wants to play.
“The boys have certainly done that. Training has been really enjoyable and it’s good for the future.
“It’s all sort of ball work with what he wants to do. It’s very technical. He wants to have us passing it, keeping the ball and retaining it but with penetration as well in going forward.
“It’s not just about having the ball to have possession so we’re still getting to know him and getting to know his ways, but we are getting there slowly but surely.”
For now, the Shinnie is looking forward to testing himself in the opening two pre-season friendlies. The first of which takes place tomorrow against local side, Sarasota Metropolis.
“We have done a lot of running and building up the fitness that way but the match sharpness and even the small games in training is where you get that little bit of sharpness that we need,” he commented.
“In pre-season the players are always looking for that first game because it’s the first bit that gets the running out of the way and you hope that there is no more running in it.
“The games are more important in terms of getting your touch back, your feel for the game, your positioning on the pitch so I’m looking forward to it.”
