Neal Trotman is ready to put a season of 'frustration and anger' behind him, Championship strikers have been warned.

The 22-year-old former Oldham man battled his way through hernia and knee problems in his first full season at the Club and was restricted to a six game loan spell at Colchester United towards the end of the campaign.

Now that the centre-half is back he's determined not to repeat the woes of the last 12 months: "I was very frustrated and in a weird way I was angry. Leading up to the Play-Offs knowing that if I was fit I could have been involved, it's probably been the toughest year I have had in football.

"One of the reasons I am angry and frustrated is because I know if I was fit and playing last season I could have got a game. Youl was injured at one point and we had to get a couple of loans in and I'm thinking that that would have been my chance.

"Liam Chilvers was in the same boat but from a selfish point of view I was thinking if I was called upon I could have been playing.

"It wasn't to be, I was injured and everyone gets injured so I can't really dwell on it, I will have to get on with it, I'm only 22 so I have got the future ahead of me."

Trotman faces a a tough battle to get into Alan Irvine's starting eleven with Youl Mawene, Sean St. Ledger and Liam Chilvers all vying for the anticipated two centre-half spots. The Levenshulme born defender fully appreciates the task in hand, especially considering the form of Mawene and St. Ledger in those positions come the end of the season.

"My only ambition is to play, it's as simple as that," was Trotman's stark appraisal of what he wants from the forthcoming campaign.

"Last year Sean and Youl had it quite easy with me and Chilvers injured, but what they did was unbelievable, we got to the Play-Offs with some man of the match performances from them two in a lot of the games.

"It's healthy to have competition and now we've got myself, Chilvers, Youl and Ledge and as I am the youngest I will be learning off of all three of them.

"Someone like Sean St. Ledger has done a fantastic job, he has improved all the time, season on season. I can look at Sean's example but I will try and do my own thing and try the best I can.

"I know I am good enough to be in the team, I know I can do it because the last games I played for Preston I did really well. When I get my chance I will take it and hopefully I can build on that."

Trotman's immediate concern is getting himself through one of Alan Irvine's gruelling training camps. He's got through the opening two days but reckons that the worst is yet to come.

"I fear that the worst might still be around the corner, I think the opening days were just a taster for the next couple of weeks," the defender said as the beads of sweat poured from his forehead.

"I hear that Austria is three sessions a day and getting up at half five in the morning. I'm not a long distance runner but hopefully I get into the sprints, I just can't do long distance running, I can do it and will get through it but you won't see me at the front with Chappy, Whales and Ledge.

I got off to a good start to the sprints on the opening day, we had to do ten 100 metre sprints and I just died away, faded. I think for the first four I was leading and then for the next six I was plodding but I was getting in within the set time which I am pleased with.

"I am just happy to be out there, I haven't had a good pre-season for two years."

With Alan Irvine the man responsible for putting the players through all the pre-season pain, it might seem a sadistic thought for Trotman to suggest that he is delighted that the Gaffer rejected the advances of West Brom to continue the job at Deepdale. Needless to say, Trotman is more than happy to be working under the Scotsman.

"I was wondering whether he was going to go or not," he said.

"The fact that he bought me has made me delighted that he was staying, it's also given the rest of lads a boost of confidence, if you don't know who the manager is going to be then you would be scratching our heads and questioning our positions and futures at the club.

"The Gaffer is here and he knows what he wants from us and who he wants so we just look ahead."