With the dreaded first sessions of pre-season training now completed by the Iron squad, striker Paddy Madden is glad to have stored some vital fitness.
That is ahead of what promises to be a gruelling League One campaign.The players returned to Glanford Park towards the end of June for testing but now the full pre-season schedule really starts to kick in as preparations for life in League One accelerate.
Madden said that the players expect to undergo a lot of fitness work at this stage of the year and he is now looking forward to the upcoming friendly matches.
He told The Iron Player: “We did a lot of hard running in our first session back on Thursday but you’ve got to expect that in pre-season.
“Hopefully we’ll do a bit more ball work in the next few weeks but it’s good to get a bit of fitness in the bank.
“The first two weeks are usually tough but when the games start coming, it begins to get a little bit easier.
“We’re all looking forward to the games coming up but it’s going to be two weeks of running I would expect.”
Madden scored five goals in 21 games for Scunthorpe last season after joining from Yeovil Town in January and admits that his first objective will be to try and hold down a place in the team during the new campaign.
The Irishman is confident of a good year ahead for the club and stated that all the players are excited for the season ahead.
“It’s a good squad that we have here so it’s going to be hard to get into the team,” he added.
“First and foremost, I have to try and get in there and stake a claim and hopefully hold down a place in the side.
“I’ll be looking to do that and if I do, I’m sure the goals will follow.
“There are always a couple of outsiders that make a run for the Play-Offs so I can’t see why that can’t be us.
“There’s a good camaraderie in the squad and the new lads have gelled together well so everyone is buzzing and excited for the new season.”
See much more from Paddy Madden, and others, on The Iron Player.