Ali McCann feels PNE will reap the benefits of a week spent training in the warm weather conditions of Alicante.
Ali, as part of a 23-man squad, completed the opening day of the six-day camp in Campoamor on Saturday, as the team took on a morning and afternoon training session.
The Spanish heat is not something the players are too familiar with back home at Euxton, and Ali feels it will set them up nicely for the rest of pre-season and the new Championship campaign.
He told iFollow PNE: “It’s been great coming out here and getting the warm weather sessions in.
“It’s hard work and we’ve worked hard today, and over the next few days I’m sure we’ll be working hard as well, but it’s been good.
“Everyone seems to be enjoying it so a good start to the trip.”
It’s not just the heat that will help get PNE prepared, but it’s also a chance for the squad to spend an uninterrupted week together.
That’s particularly beneficial for the new signings, the likes of Ben Woodburn and Robbie Brady, to get to know their new teammates, but for the existing squad too.
“That’s part of it, just to get everyone together as a team,” Ali added.
“It’s all part of pre-season, and as I said the warm weather stuff sort of gets you sweating, gets you moving, and the hard work can only be beneficial for us going into the season.
“So I think over the next few days we’ll all be working hard and we’ll come back in a good position.”
Pre-season has looked slightly different for Ali so far, having been given the first week off after his international commitments with Northern Ireland in June.
He therefore hasn’t featured in either of the friendlies against Bamber Bridge or Tranmere Rovers, but could get his first minutes against Getafe on Tuesday, in front of a huge number of PNE fans making the journey to Spain.
Ali said: “We know it’s going to be a really hard game. It’s obviously a top quality opposition out here in the heat, so we’ll be taking nothing for granted.
“We’ll be going in to the game with a proper game plan to try and get something out of it, along with the fitness benefits of it, and with the fans coming out it should make for a decent enough atmosphere so we’ll be looking forward to seeing them all out here as well so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it. “
Watch Ali's full interview above on iFollow PNE.