The Town players returned to pre-season training this morning with Mick McCarthy issuing a challenge to his squad. 

The Blues’ first-team were led around the training ground by Club fitness coach Andy Liddell in the first work out of pre-season as a group as the build-up to the new campaign began.

“The players were in at the end of last week to do their bleep tests and Lids rang me to say that every one of them had improved on their fitness times,” Mick told the Club website.

“ That’s a good start and over the next month or so, places in the team for the first game against Fulham on August 9 are there to be taken. 

“It’s an opportunity for some who perhaps feel they didn’t get a chance last season to prove they deserve one this time. The team to play Fulham will be based on who proves to be the fittest, strongest and in best form – not on what they did last season.”