REDS assistant manager Ryan Kidd caught up with www.barnsleyfc.co.uk following the first day of pre-season training.

Ryan said: "It has been a very tough day for the lads. I do not think they will have had a tougher first day of pre-season at any club. We have worked this morning and afternoon and started with some endurance and aerobic work. We are following the same plan as we did last season and it will be tough for them.

"To be fair the lads have all returned on the targets we set them at the end of last season and that shows that they have all looked after themselves in the summer. Their times were the same in some of the runs we did so it has been a very positive first day. We want to push their boundaries even further this season and we have to do that if we are going to be where we want to be. We have brought in players who are athletic and can run up and down the pitch all game. We want to be fitter than ever.

"We have had Heinz (Muller) and Anderson (de Silva) training with the physios and they have come back in good spirits. It is great to see them back but we will not rush them and wait until they are ready. Darren (Moore) has also worked with the physio but he will be ready to go in with the rest of them next week.

"We will train all day on Friday and then again on Saturday morning. The lads will then have Sunday off before a full week of morning and afternoons. We have our first game next Friday and we will get the chance to put them out there. They will be a long way away from where we want to be but we are not looking at these games like that. We are aiming to peak for the first day of the new season. That is what this pre-season programme is all about".