Chris Skitt: Shrewsbury Town players to get right back to work
Taskmaster physio Chris Skitt has promised that Shrewsbury Town players will be put straight to work as they check in for pre-season training today.
The Town squad report back at the new training HQ at Sundorne Castle with boss Paul Hurst and No.2 Chris Doig finished on their LMA training course.
Skitt, who has been busy on a number of fronts for the club this summer, will get stuck into the crop of players – both new and existing – to drill some early miles into their legs.
Other work on the agenda at Sundorne today includes kit measurements, fitness tests and – most importantly – players getting introduced to their new team-mates.
Additions Arthur Gnahoua, Lenell John-Lewis and Jon Nolan will meet the existing group.
The Town physio doesn’t expect miracles from players having just enjoyed a welcome near two-month break, but that won’t hold him back from putting the returning squad through their paces from the off.
He said: “They will be out at it from day one, there will be a lot of testing from day one and a lot of measurement and the baseline stuff taken.
“A big part of it is getting to meet each other and start to get to know each other but we will be at it right from the start.
“There will be training through the day as well as a little bit of running for them.
“We don’t think they have to be as fit as they are on day one, it is a process where we are going to build them up steadily.
“They will be fit this year and they will be physically strong.”
Shrewsbury’s pre-season schedule is almost split into three parts.
Beginning next week, the players will spend a week at the Sundorne base getting back up to speed and blowing away the cobwebs. The second part begins as they then jet off for their warm weather training camp in Portugal, where regular intense training sessions will kick-in as the sessions heat up.
Town are also taking in a behind-closed-doors friendly which will act as their first match of the summer.
Upon their arrival back on British shores, Town will almost head immediately into an intense set of pre-season friendlies, beginning with a trip to non-league Brackley Town on Tuesday, July 11. Championship trio Aston Villa, Wolves and Cardiff City then head to Oteley Road in the space of 10 days.
A midweek trip to AFC Telford comes before the final friendly, a home clash with Burton on July 29 before League One commences with the visit of Northampton Town the following week.
Chief executive Brian Caldwell said that potential signings may see the trip to Portugal as an incentive to join Town, but Skitt moved to assure that time for players to top up their tan will be limited.
“As well as the team bonding, it is also a chance to get a lot of good quality training into them,” added Skitt.
“They will be doing a minimum of three sessions a day so it will be intense.”
