Hartlepool United squad BACK in training, for now, as new man Jon Whitney offers insight into summer programme

New man Jon Whitney is hoping Hartlepool United will have a head start on their National League rivals, with players already back at the club's Peterlee training base.
Jon Whitney from his days as manager of Walsall (Getty).Jon Whitney from his days as manager of Walsall (Getty).
Jon Whitney from his days as manager of Walsall (Getty).

A number of Pools' first-team squad were back at East Durham College as part of a programme put in place by former Walsall manager Whitney, brought to the club by former manager Richard Money.

Manager Craig Hignett was put through his paces alongside players Ryan Donaldson, Liam Noble, Gavan Holohan, Luke James, Kenton Richardson, Adam Bale, Aaron Cunningham and Ryan Catterick.

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Another date this week has been set for the rest of the squad, with further dates later in the summer.

"It’s about keeping tabs on them a little bit but also just to give them a taster of what is going to be involved during pre-season," Whitney told the club website.

"After about two to three weeks of inactivity – even though the lads will still do some stuff – you see a drop-off where you decondition or detrain.

"We’ve given them all close-season programmes which get progressively more intense as time goes on, with upper and lower body exercises.

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"Some of the lads will do too much and some of them may not do enough but it’s about trying to get that balance right.

"We know we have some players – the likes of Adam Bale – who we might have to put the reins on a little bit because there’s a chance he could over-train so it works both ways.

"These blocks will give us an idea of their fitness levels and also get them doing some of the movements and the biomechanics they’re going to need in pre-season and moving in to the season itself."