Source: Northern_Echo
Bardsley points to boxing regime
WHEN the majority of footballers were enjoying the last few weeks of summer lying on beaches and relaxing, Phil Bardsley was undergoing a gruelling fitness regime in Manchester in an attempt to return to pre-season fighting fit. Towards the end of the last campaign, Bardsley lost his right-back slot to Alan Hutton, who was on loan from Tottenham, and the Salfordborn defender was determined to come back after the summer ready to regain his position. However, with Bruce preferring Nedum Onouha and Kieran Richardson in the full-back positions, Bardsley again found himself down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light. It seemed the former Manchester United trainee could be heading for the exit door, with his contract expiring in June and a new deal yet to be offered by the club. But when a hamstring injury ruled Richardson out for a few weeks, Bardsley was called into action on the left and his solid performances have earned him a new contract and a new position, something he feels is down to his hard work during the summer. I went to a boxing gym in Moss Side in the summer, the Scottish international explained. The reason was in the last few summers when I have come back I have felt the lads have been a bit ahead of me in terms of fitness so this year I promised myself I would go and give it a crack. I rang Steve Foster senior who is my dad's best mate and asked if I could train with his son, Steve junior at the Champs' Gym. I went for two weeks and I was in at six in the morning for two hours. I would go home and would be back in the gym at 12.30pm doing pads and stuff. I did it off my own back to give myself the best chance of playing. Ensley Bingham, a former boxer, grilled me for two weeks and some of the stuff we were doing was outrageous. At six I would be running on the treadmill and aerobic stuff and then in the afternoon I would do ten rounds on the punch bags. I would then do a 45- minute non-stop circuit session around the gym. You are not allowed to even stop for a drink. I'd also end up doing another seven or eight rounds on the bag. The first time I did it I only did three rounds. And it nearly killed me. Some mornings I did think, what on earth am I doing here' in the middle of summer, getting into the gym at six o clock in the morning but I have felt the benefit unbelievably. Physically, I am in so much better shape and I have noticed the difference. I think that Moss Side is probably the reason why I have become something of a regular this season. Despite his love of boxing, Bardsley says there is no chance of him following in the footsteps on footballer and boxer Curtis Woodhouse. I love my boxing so I wanted to go there and but I am not going to do a Curtis Woodhouse on Sunderland, Bardsley said. The lads here think I will because they have seen me on the pads and think I'm halfdecent but there is no chance of that. I am all right hitting bags but you don't get hit back and I don't fancy that. I was asked if I wanted to spar with Steven junior but he is a European champion and I said absolutely no chance. Bardsley's impressive club form has also seen him break into Craig Levein's Scotland squad, something he has no regrets about despite the fact he is English-born. Qualifying through his father's side of the family, Bardsley made his debut back in October in a 3-2 defeat to European and World Champions Spain. I have absolutely no regrets about Scotland, he said. It was a great experience to play against Spain at the recent friendly. I have now experienced international football and it is fantastic. I have enjoyed every minute of it and I hope it continues for a very long time.