Stevenage ‘raring to go’ ahead of new campaign as players return for training

Boro’s pre-season begins in earnest today (Monday) with players back in training, but Day says the break has gone ‘quickly’ with the goalkeeper/coach working alongside manager Darren Sarll and the coaching staff over recent weeks to put things in place ahead of the new campaign.

“It’s been a summer without much football on the TV. It’s been a funny summer, and that’ll change next year with the World Cup,” Day said.

“I’m sure everyone is raring to get going again and from a supporter’s point of view we’ve all been starved of football. There have been a couple of England friendlies but apart from that there’s been nothing so everyone is looking forward to the season.

“I know everyone was looking forward to the fixtures coming out and then it dawns on you that it’s round the corner.

“Most people look at the games over the Christmas period and things like that, but from a staff point of view it’s more the logistics of who we are playing and when will be the first overnight stay. Organising those sorts of things.”

Day, who turns 42 next month, says his role this year is the same as last year i.e. coaching and ‘donning the gloves whenever I can get a game’.

He says that the main thing now is getting things in place for the first pre-season game of the new season before the league campaign begins at home to Newport County on August 5.

“The main thing now is the preparation for the first pre-season game,” Day said.

“The league is still seven weeks away and there’s plenty of work to be done in the meantime.

“We will be working hard every single day to improve ourselves. We were a smidgen away [from promotion] last season and if we can improve on last year, league-wise, then brilliant.

“It’s a close-knit dressing room and a good standard in that dressing room as well. Punctuality and all the other little bits you don’t see at the front of house.

“[They are a] good bunch of lads and I’m sure they’ll come in and raise standards again.”