Blackburn Rovers midfielder Ben Marshall says he cannot wait to get going again, as Rovers start their pre-season schedule with a visit to local neighbours Accrington Stanley.
The 24-year-old made 20 appearances last season for Rovers as the club finished some way off the Championship playoff spots, despite having the prolific strike partnership of Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede plunder 41 goals between them.
But despite the disappointment of finishing ninth, the former Leicester City man has said that he cannot wait to get started again, with Rovers hoping to get back to the promised land of the Premier League after a three-year absence.
Marshall is glad to be back
Marshall told the Lancashire Telegraph that it was "good to be back" in training, and he has enjoyed meeting up with the rest of the squad and catching up with their summer experiences, though it had been "tough" work on the training pitch.
He said that he does "miss football" when he is off, especially as he hadn't featured in a game "for a few months now", so the friendly against Accrington comes at a good time for him and he hopes that Rovers "can start off with a win".
With a Financial Fair Play transfer embargo in place over Rovers, speculation has surrounded the club over their best players, especially the aforementioned Rhodes and Gestede, with the latter being linked with a move to Premier League new boys Watford and Norwich City.
The midfielder is not interested in a move away
Marshall himself has been linked to fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday having spent time on loan there in 2012, but the winger dismissed the links altogether.
The 24-year-old said that while he was flattered by the Owls' interest he has no interest in leaving Ewood Park, and is "very happy" to be at Rovers, poking fun at the fact that he had been linked with a return to Hillsborough in almost every transfer window since he left.