Kyel Reid is relishing the chance to get a full pre-season under his belt after missing out last year with a long term knee injury.
The former Bradford City winger now feels that he has fully recovered from that injury and is raring to go for the new season and feels a full pre-season schedule will only benefit his this season.
"It helps massively having a pre-season under your belt as well as joining in with the rest of the boys and starting the season on a high, feeling fit and ready.
"Obviously last season, when I came in I was a couple of months behind and so I was always playing catch up. Then when it did come to me doing my work outside, I was doing it on my own so it's not the same as doing it with the rest of the boys where you've got them pushing you on to try and reach your target.
"It was difficult but I got through it and I'm pleased with how the season went for us and it couldn't have gone any better.
"For me coming in, it was my first season here and to get a promotion with the squad that we had was a big acheivement.
"I feel like the work that the gaffer has done here with the players and the staff that he's brought in, it is a great bunch of lads here. Fair play to the ones that have gone as well because obviously because they played a big part in it as well as everyone else."
Now for the 27-year-old, the focus turns to staying fit and being a part of Simon Grayson's first team squad in the Championship this season.
"I just want to look forward to this season now and focus on staying fit and getting a good pre-season under my belt, playing in the games and getting some good fitness. Hopefully then that can carry me in to the start of the season and give the gaffer something to think about.
"Obviously the season ended on a high for me because I felt I was just getting into my pace and getting back to full fitness and looking sharp. The gaffer and Snods even said it themselves so as long as I can come back and continue where I left off then I don't think I will have any problems getting in and around the squad.
"Fingers crossed I can kick on now and get a good fitness under my belt and take the games as they come."
Reid was working hard over the summer to make sure he returned to training in the best shape possible, and the former Charlton Athletic man feels he is already reaping the benefits of that extra work.
"It was about me going away when the season finished and keeping on top of my fitness and making sure that when I do come back, that I'm fine, my knee is fine and there's no problems for me and since we've been back I feel sharp, I feel good.
"The gaffer and Snods have been saying that I look good, and look sharp so that helps as well, because that gives you the encouragement and the confidence that you're doing something right. I've just got to look forward now and just keep progressing and keep working hard and keep doing what they say.
"There will probably be times when I can finish training and I feel a little bit, or even in games so it's just about managing it and knowing how far I can go and how much time I can play.
"Now it's all out of my head and I'm fully fit and fully focused on helping the team and just seeing where it takes us this year."
After last season's success, next up for Reid and his teammates is the challenge of Championship football, but Reid is confident and believes anything is possible when a squad has the spirit and work ethic like the one at North End.
"The Championship is a really good league to play in with some good teams and there's some big clubs and nice stadiums and big crowds to play in front of so it is a tough league, probably one of the toughest to get out of but it's a great achievement for the Club to be back here.
"With the lads that the gaffer has got here already and the ones he is planning on bringing in I think it's a big opportunity for us to go out there and make a statement to the rest of the teams in this league that we are a good team and that we are here to play and we can play just like them.
"It's a good level to be playing at, and who knows what could happen. We could probably go on a run, get into the Play-Offs like Brentford did and teams like that that have come up from League One.
"Anything can happen, it just shows that if you've got that work hard, never die team spirit, you can go a long way whether you're winning games or picking up points, they can all go a long way.
"Hopefully that's how we start off and we can just continue how we left last season in to this season with that winning mentality. We went so many games unbeaten and that's another thing that can give all of the boys confidence and the gaffer has done it already.
"He's obviously managed some big clubs and managed in this league before, so he knows what it takes to stay in this league and to get into the Play-Offs and who knows where you can go from there."