Stevenage’s pre-season trip to La Manga has been beneficial on many levels and as the squad prepare for their final evening Robin Shroot spoke to the official website.
The workload has been high, and the temperature has been too, but it is all work that Robin thinks will help the side when it comes to the club’s third season in League One.
Shroot said: “It’s been a very intense week but one that I have thoroughly enjoyed; the warm weather training has been beneficial to the group as a whole.”
The return to training for pre-season is a time that tests all footballers but Boro’s number 32 ended last season injured, so more so than ever getting back onto the field has been strenuous – but more importantly enjoyable – for Shrooty.
He continued: “La Manga has been a fantastic opportunity for the new squad to spend some quality time together, gelling and getting to know each other both on and off the field.”
Manager Graham Westley has added six new players to his squad and the La Manga trip is the first time that those players have had chance to integrate with their new team mates.
Already friendships are forming and on the training field the standard is high, and speaking about the players who will stand alongside him at the Lamex Stadium next year Shroot said: “They’re all very nice lads, which is quite important. Sometimes you don’t always have to get on off the field because you can have a good relationship on it, and that’s the most important thing.
“But the new lads here are fitting in already and that obviously adds an extra dimension to the group. It’ll only help us as a team”
Stevenage return home tomorrow (Saturday) and from Monday they will return to Bragbury End and begin preparations for the 2013/14 campaign.
Robin has been enjoying his time under the sunshine of Spain but took a moment to look ahead at the pre-season schedule
“We will return to England to get on with our pre-season training programme and I’m sure that as we get fitter the level will step up and we will become better than we are right now. With that we hope that the quality and the way we want to play football will come out and set us in good stead for a successful season.”
He finished: “I can’t wait to get going!”