United striker Sam Winnall is feeling the League One buzz now that the Sky Bet League One fixtures are out.
The Iron start off their campaign with a trip to Wiltshire to face Swindon Town – coincidently the side they played in their final League One game two seasons ago.
He told Scunthorpe-United.co.uk: “I’m really looking forward to next season in League One.
“It’ll be a real challenge and there is no way we can under estimate any of the teams.
“We come into a new division full of confidence having won promotion last season and having achieved that unbeaten run of 28 games.”
The United striker, who topped the scoring charts for League Two last season, believes it doesn’t matter who you play on the opening day of the season as long as you pick up points.
“We have to play every team twice throughout the duration of the season so – to me – it doesn’t really matter who we play and when,” Winnall said.
“Of course it would have been nice to start the new season at home, but we just have to take what we have been given on the chin and get on with it.
“Last season we got off to a great start by beating Mansfield on the opening day.”
The festive period shows very little travelling for the Iron this year, with two reasonably short away trips.
United travel to Bradford City on December 20, before facing Sheffield United at Bramall Lane eight days later.
As there are less miles to travel at that time of the year for the United players, Winnall sees that as being a beneficial period for the lads where they can pick up a number of points – just as they did in 2013.
In the two away fixtures over Christmas they will travel around 110 miles to the Yorkshire clubs, while last season Russ Wilcox’s side had to travel over 250 miles during the same weekend.
Winnall explained: “The Christmas period has been really kind to us especially as we have two short away fixtures and two at home.
“That could be really beneficial to us going forward as this time of year is always a key period during the season.”
The 23-year-old has kept his fitness in excellent condition throughout the summer ahead of next week’s testing day back at Glanford Park.
He has been working in the gym as well as completing sessions with his personal training as he looks to ensure he returns for pre-season training in tip-top condition.
“I’m looking forward to coming back to see all the lads next week.
“I’m sure they’ll all have some interesting stories about what they have been up to over the summer,” he said.
“Nevertheless we are there to test our fitness ahead of the return to pre-season.”
Winnall added: “We’ll all come back in a buoyant mood before the hard work all gets back underway on July 3.”
United travel to Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the Capital One Cup – the first midweek following the start of the season.
The former Wolves striker has been to Ewood Park before with the midlands club and he is relishing the opportunity of returning there and he thinks the Iron can cause an upset.
Winnall explained: “Over the last couple of years Scunthorpe have gone to Championship sides in the League Cup and they have come close to causing a few upsets.
“They beat Derby on penalties and last year we were unlucky to lose to Barnsley on penalties.
“Blackburn will be a really tough test but they might be focused on their promotion challenge back to the Premier League,” he continued.
“If any team can go there and cause an upset I think it will be us. We will go into the game there full of confidence and I have full belief in myself and the lads that we can get a result.
Winnall added: “After all the focus will be on them and not us.”