| This time last year, Conway was working on his own as he recovered from a broken foot and, although he was able to join in the squad work after just a few days, he never quite lost the feeling he was playing catch-up last term.
“Last summer, I missed the first week of the pre-season work and, although that does not sound a lot, it meant I missed a lot of the hard work that builds your fitness for the year that lies ahead,” he said.
“On top of that, my foot still was not ready for games and the season had started before I got involved at that level, so I did feel I was a bit behind.”
With that in mind, while he knows he is in for the hardest week of the next 12 months, he was pleased to be back at work this morning.
“The pre-season work here since the manager came in is the hardest I’ve known in my career and, this year, we’ve got a few extra games as well, but it gets you fit.”
The pre-season fixture list will also give Conway the chance to face a giant of the English game in Newcastle United on August 2, and Premiership outfit Blackburn Rovers, also at Tannadice, six days later.
That will be a first for him and it is a challenge he is already looking forward to.
“I’ve never actually faced any of the big English clubs and it will be good to do that and see how we compare.
“The good thing this year is that they have all started their training around the same time as the clubs up here, so they will be near full fitness when they come up and it will be a good test.”
Meeting up with their new team-mates for the first time today were summer signings Danny Cadamarteri, former England youth international Jennison Myrie-Williams and player/goalkeeping coach Steve Banks. |
