Details on Town's four days in Ed
- Details of Town's stint in Sweden revealed- David Wagner & Mark Hudson explain all
- Town's pre-season is sponsored by club partner Hirsche Automotive
Huddersfield Town’s First Team squad returned to PPG Canalside for the first time on Friday morning and lifted the lid on the recent four day stint in Sweden.
Head Coach David Wagner kept public details to a minimum ahead of the three day, four night spell in Ed, Sweden, to keep the players in the dark about what was in store.
Once they arrived in Sweden, the First Team squad – with only latest signing Christopher Schindler missing as his move was being completed – embarked upon a survival camp with the aim of integrating the new players with the existing players.
Town skipper Mark Hudson was one of the players and reviewed the trip with htafc.com today.
“I’ve tried to explain the trip to my Mum, but it took a while; I didn’t know where to start!
“It was good, but really hard work. I wouldn’t say it was enjoyable, but it was good to get to know everyone. That’s exactly what the boss wanted, I think.
“As soon as we got there – in the middle of the night – they took all our phones and other personal belongings away. We then had four days to complete so many tasks.
“It was exactly what was needed to bring the group together, as it opened up lines of communication with the teammates that we’d never met before. We lived in each other’s pockets 24 hours a day. On the first night we had to pair with someone we didn’t know and the next day, we had to present them to the rest of the group.
“It was nice to be back in my own bed afterwards, to be honest!”
Head Coach David Wagner added that the short spell achieved exactly what he wanted.
“It was interesting! We came out of our comfort zones and in my opinion, it was very successful. The lads bonded together as a group over four nights; it was a big step in bringing the new lads into the group.
“The island was no bigger than half a pitch and they had no phone, food, electricity, bed, toilet or shower. They had to find wood to make fire and paddle on the lake to fetch the water. That’s when you realise what a good world we live in.
“We had two-man tents and we always changed the partners. They spent all the time together and that builds a relationship. This was a big part of pre-season for us and now everything else will develop."
Wagner even planned a special final evening for the players after three solid days of hard work, but that didn’t quite turn out as intended:
“On our last evening in Sweden, we allowed a television in so the squad could watch England play Iceland together. This was meant to be the sweetest part of the trip for the players, but it was a little bit depressing after the final whistle!”
Now it’s back to the day job for the players, as the Head Coach explained:
“We had a double session on Friday before triple sessions tomorrow, on Sunday and on Monday. Training three times a day in pre-season is a normal European schedule.”
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