Phil Neville: This is my 18th go at pre-season training... believe me it doesn't get any easier

07 July 2011 07:03
Back in the swing: Phil Neville[LNB]Pre-season training. They are the three words that fill every footballer with a sense of dread and I am yet to meet a player who looks forward to that first day back after a break.[LNB]This is my 18th pre-season and you might think the older you are, the easier it gets. But that is never the case. The only thing that changes from when you are a young professional is that you know the work is not going to kill you. [LNB]Given the advances in sports science and technology, there are so many things different to when I first started at Manchester United but, equally, one thing hasn't changed.[LNB]As was the case all those years ago, the next five weeks are all about making sure you are fit for the opening day. That will always be the same. [LNB] Getting stuck in: Everton take advantage of the beautiful Austrian scenery following training[LNB]CHANGING VALUESOne key change in the last few years has been the fact players now get exercise programmes to stick to during the summer break and each one is tailored to each individual's physical capacity. [LNB]At Everton, everyone is allowed two weeks of doing nothing but then you have to start ticking over. Managers and coaches trust their players to come back in good shape. When everyone gets weighed on the first day back, you will only see a marginal difference in their weight and body-fat reading compared to the final game of the previous season. [LNB]The pressure to look after yourself is more intense than 20 years ago, when players tended to have a good blowout. During my career I've never seen anyone report back seriously overweight and there is not much chance of that  happening now. Rest is important but so is staying in condition. [LNB] Back to work: Everton manager David Moyes prepares to organise another painful session in Austria[LNB]STUCK IN THE SANDInevitably, there will be sessions in the first week that stretch you to the absolute limit of your physical capabilities and I can assure you that being plunged into a freezing river in the Austrian Alps is one of those things. We had that  'pleasure' yesterday. [LNB]You will have heard stories of players running so much that they end up being sick and I can confirm they are true. I have seen it happen. Perhaps the funniest incident I've ever witnessed was a couple of years ago with Everton in St Andrews Bay. David Moyes enjoys making us run up sand dunes until we are at a standstill but, for one of my team-mates, it all became too much. [LNB]His legs buckled on one descent and he went head first into the sand. As you can imagine, there was uproar among those who were watching. The man in question, though, did not find it funny and he wanted to let the manager know. [LNB]Unfortunately for him, his head had gone that far underground that when he came to speak his mind, all that ended up coming out was a mouthful of sand. [LNB] Cooling down: Marouane Fellaini (right) and team-matesrelax in an icy river at the Obertraun National Sports & Recreation Centre[LNB]THE HORSE SHOEThere is one session that David Moyes puts on for Everton's squad which still puts the fear of God up me. Every year you know it is coming but there is nothing you can do about it. [LNB]As was the case when he told us to follow the fitness coaches into the river, the manager takes great pleasure in seeing how much it makes the players squirm. Basically 'the horse shoe' is a series of sharp runs that cover distances between 100metres and 300m and there is barely any time to catch your breath in between. [LNB]By the time you are on your eighth sprint, your legs feel like jelly and buckle, while your lungs are burning. The manager, meanwhile, simply laughs as you collapse. It feels like torture but it clearly pays off as we take pride at Everton in the fact no team will ever out-run us during the season. [LNB] Put through his paces: Striker Louis Saha trains on a bike (left) while Moyes directs the training session[LNB]LEARNING LESSONSOne of the great things about pre-season is seeing the young players who have been promoted from the academy joining in for the first time. In certain ways, the first five weeks they spend with the seniors can be some of the most important in their careers. [LNB]I remember joining in at Manchester United for the first time. We used to warm up doing an exercise called 'strides', which was a run you would do at three-quarter speed just to get you breathing heavier and warmed up. Brian Kidd would always take that session and, on this particular day, Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel were at the head of the group, leading the runs, while I settled into the middle, thinking it would be a good idea to just try to blend in. It wasn't. [LNB]After a couple of runs, Peter dropped back through the pack and before I realised what was going on, he was jostling me. Peter is an intimidating man and when he speaks, you listen. He basically said it was wrong to ever think you could take it easy. He knew I was a good runner so was not impressed that I hadn't tried to push on at the front. [LNB]That's why now, whenever we've had a tough session and you can hear the young ones saying how tired they are, myself and a few of the other lads will say we feel great. Even if we feel anything but![LNB]Interview by Dominic King[LNB]Things ain't what they used to be Arsenal (above) stride back into training along Tufnell Park Road in 1936, while Aston Villa's Ray Hogg (below left) sees if he's put on any summer pounds in 1956 and Watford(below right) enjoy a full English at their Lake District training camp in 1965[LNB] [LNB]  Are these the worst kits ever? England and Everton launch garish goalkeeper shirtsEverton in Dier straits as Toffees land teen star defender on year-long loanAll the latest Everton news, features and opinion[LNB]

Source: Daily_Mail