We caught up with Nathan Ashmore and Anthony Cook during a break in training to get their feedback about pre-season and the sessions out in Portugal.

Both players said it had been “hard and tough” so far (though were surprisingly much more enthusiastic about the food!) with Cook adding, “But that’s what’s expected in pre-season.”

The new players are settling in well and Cook said, “It’s very important that everyone manages to settle in. It doesn’t feel like they’re new because we’re always in each other’s faces. The training’s top notch, even the new boys coming in are straight into the tempo. The standards are high and I think the gaffer’s happy.”

Ashmore said, “Everyone’s looking sharp, no-one’s come back unfit. You can’t because you know what’s expected.”

Watch the full interview below.