The 27-year-old commences his first pre-season with the club having signed from Bolton Wanderers in January, and endured the usual Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level Two on the opening day, before the new Puma footballs were out.
Speaking to iFollow Iron, he said: “It was tough, but a good first day back. We got our runs in and the footballs were out after that, which was great to see.
“The lads have all come back sharp and fit, so it was a good start to pre-season. I’ll sleep well tonight, which is normal, but it was good. Everyone did really well today and there were some good scores on the test. People have worked hard in the off-season. With all the amber lists, and not being able to go away as much, players have put the work in at home and it shows.
“It’s a standard pre-season run, and it just shows where everyone is at. We just push on now and get fitter.”
After a condensed, but long, season last time out, the close season was a welcome one for all. With COVID-19 scuppering everyone’s summer plans 12 months ago, there has been chance to switch off this time round.
“I enjoyed it. It was a different one again with COVID, but I got a nice little break away with the kids, but I’m just glad to be back now,” he continued.
“We had good programmes given to us (over the break), tailored to each player. A few of us, including myself, came in to do extras. We’ve done what we can to come back in good shape ready to really push on this year.
“It’s just good to be around the place. A few of the lads came in and travelled different distances. It’s good to run with each other. It’s hard to do it on your own in the gym or running around the street, while coming here gives us the extra edge."
Taft also touched on the importance of the next few weeks and looked ahead to the matches that will take place over the course of July.
He also touched on the hopeful return of spectators to the games, which will be an added bonus following a campaign behind-closed-doors.
“It’s a vital part of the season,” he stated.
“We’ve got some really good games coming up, that will get us ready for the season as well. It’s nice to have a normal pre-season again, and we are ready to hit the ground running.
“Now we’ve hopefully got the fans coming back to look forward to. With them coming back this year, we’ve really got to prove to them what we can do, put smiles on faces and make them proud of the team.”
See much more from George Taft on iFollow Iron.
