New coach Peter Murphy has been impressed with the attitude of the Preston North End squad during the “really productive” training camp in Spain.
Peter – a former player who retired early due to injury – joined up with the group in Campoamor earlier this week after being added to Ryan Lowe’s backroom staff.
The coach has come straight into a busy week of training which has seen the lads take part in two sessions most days in the hot Spanish climate.
North End also played a pre-season friendly against Bruno’s Magpies as part of the trip, with two separate XIs playing a half each during the 3-0 victory.
Peter said: “It’s a pleasure to be here. The first few days have been good, just getting to know everybody – the staff, players, and getting used to the lads.
“The lads have done some good work, with the gaffer, Marshy [Mike Marsh], myself and all the other staff for the past few days, so I’ve really enjoyed it.
“They’ve had a great attitude. We’re here to work for physical returns and a little bit of tactical returns.
“Obviously they’re getting used to playing again with the game the other day. The lads got 45 minutes so it’s been a really productive week.”
A key part of Peter’s role as a coach at PNE will be to focus on the team’s set plays and working with the club’s younger players.
That’s something the 33-year-old is certainly no stranger to, having worked with Wigan Athletic’s U18s and U23s previously.
With a number of teenagers out in Spain with North End, Peter has had an early look at the selection of youngsters he could be working closely with during the coming weeks and months.
“They haven’t looked out of place at all,” he said.
“They’ve come in and they’ve worked hard. They’ve got to be the hardest working on the trip, the youngsters.
“The opportunity is there for them to impress the manager and to impress the coaching staff.
“They’ve had their opportunity in the past two games and they’ve taken those opportunities, but they’ve got a lot of work to do to become established Championship players.
“The gaffer’s spoken to me about there being a good group of young lads here coming through from the Academy so I’m really excited to work with them.”