Nottingham Forest winger Chris Burke says this pre-season has been the ‘toughest’ he’s ever experienced, but also the ‘most enjoyable’.
The 31-year-old Scotsman is nearing the end of his 14th pre-season as a senior professional but says he’s never known one like this summer’s.
Burke told Forest Player HD: “It’s probably been the toughest of my career so far, but the most enjoyable as well.
“Our trip to Sweden was excellent. We were mostly doing three sessions a day, rather than the two sessions you tend to do in pre-season.
“But the boys adapted well to it, learned from it and hopefully it will benefit us for the upcoming season.”
Manager Dougie Freedman has given the majority of his senior squad the chance to impress him so far, as well as a number of youngsters.
And, with home friendlies coming up against Premier League sides Swansea City and Aston Villa, Burke says every player believes they can make it into Freedman’s squad for the opening-day trip to Brighton.
He said: “When you come back to the training ground you have to have the mindset of trying to get into the manager’s starting 11. That’s what we’re all trying to achieve here.
“It’s a fresh start for everybody. You have to fight for your place because the competition here is fierce.
“It’ll be hard to get into the side with the quality that’s been shown in pre-season and in the games.”
Burke’s full interview is available to Forest Player HD subscribers, while a video of his eye-catching goal in Tuesday’s friendly at Doncaster is available to view on the club’s YouTube channel.
Quelle: nottinghamforest.co.uk
