Motherwell are now half-way through their pre-season camp on the boiling Spanish coast.
The third day started with the players getting a little bit of a morning’s rest (Wednesday is normally the day the players have off during the week. However, as it is pre-season, the lads only got the luxury of a few hours before noon).
The day started off with lunch – another plentiful helping with something for everyone. Chicken, beef, pork, fish (although, not quite as exotic as the swordfish that was on the menu last night).
Around about the same time, skipper Keith Lasley and new goalie Gunnar Nielsen took time out to speak to Kenny MacDonald (Scottish Sun) and Gary Ralston (Daily Record).
You will no doubt read all about their experiences in both titles tomorrow. Both lads will be back to speak to more of the squad as the week progresses.
The first session of the day got underway in the gym at the complex right on 2.30pm (local time). The gym isn’t a big room by any matter of means – actually, it’s very small… A rough estimate would be about 10m x 15m. Add in eighteen players, five coaching staff, two media staff and a 83 degree ‘midday’ heat, it was a shift.
Undeterred, the players worked extremely hard, all under the watchful eye of the phenomenally talented and knowledgeable physiotherapist John Porteous.
Stretches, weights, cardio; it all looked very demanding indeed.
The next session is due at 6pm where the players will, for the third night running, have an evening session. There’s probably a little trepidation amongst the lads as to how hard it is going to be given they had a little longer in their beds this morning! Beware of Kenny!
In truth though, the session was mainly about ball work. Loads of drills, small-sided stuff with the standard really, really high. The players were glad of the cooler temperatures. Storm clouds were gathering on the horizon and thirty minutes in, it was certainly much more comfortable for football. The backdrop of the players training hard with approaching thunder and lightening was quite spectacular.
The brief rain made the pitch slick (although the humidity was through the roof). That made for an excellent game at the end of training. The quality was notable for sure with every player looking good and sharp on the ball. There are certainly a lot of very good footballers amongst the group.
Dinner was again enjoyed by most – some more than others! Can you guess which player had a plate this full? We will leave you to ponder for a while but if you would like to know the answer (you probably won’t be surprised) then click here.
After dinner the players had a chilled night in preparation for tomorrow – the last full day in Spain. Some played poker and other card games (with complicated rules), whilst most grabbed an early night.
Keep up to date with additional information via Twitter and some behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. Action shots from training can also be found on our official Facebook page.
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