Sunderland centre-back Younes Kaboul says that, so far, pre-season preparations have been the best he has ever experienced in his career.
The Black Cats are currently in Austria for an eight-day training camp which will come to an end this week when the squad returns to England, ahead of pre-season friendlies starting with Hartlepool United and Rotherham.
Three warm-up games in France then follow, before going back to Austria to face Borussia Dortmund.
Fighting fit
The start of the new season will see the Lads be in the best condition possible after undergoing three sessions daily, which seen them go through various programs focusing on different elements of fitness and incorporating different techniques; such as running, swimming, cycling and ball work.
Kaboul has been ecstatic by the ‘atmosphere’ and environment in pre-season so far, and has predicted a ‘bright future’ for those young stars training with the first squad.
The defender believes ‘working hard every day’ in the offseason will help Sunderland to compete at the next level, when the Premier League campaign kicks off next month at Manchester City.
Youngsters are the future
He has also hailed the backroom staff, saying the ‘organisation’ of the sessions are ‘brilliant'.
Kaboul added, “It’s probably the best pre-season I’ve had so far in my career, and I’m really happy with that."
Sam Allardyce has taken a number of young players with him to Austria that have caught Kaboul's eye, including the likes of Josh Robson, Lynden Gooch, Max Stryjek and Josh Maja.
The Frenchman feels that “the youngsters here are enjoying the chances to learn", which will no doubt serve them well in the future.
He concluded, “We’ve got some good young players coming up through the ranks and they’ve all done well, they all have a bright future ahead of them."