Derby County goalkeeper Josh Vickers says the squad are building a close bond during their week-long pre-season training camp in Spain.
The Rams have been put through their paces by Paul Warne and his coaching staff in the searing Spanish sun, with a game against Sky Bet League One side Stockport County at the Pinatar Arena on Friday 19th July (10am UK time kick-off) to be the next test for the squad in the build-up to the 2024/25 Championship season.
Vickers, who enters his second season as a Derby player after signing from Rotherham United last summer, has emphasised the importance of openness within the squad and the togetherness they have built during pre-season so far.
The shot-stopper sat down for an extensive chat with RamsTV to talk about the squad’s goals and his own personal progression.
On building connections with the squad during a hot pre-season camp…
It's probably too hot! I know that is a typical British answer. It's always too cold or it's always too hot, isn't it? It's lovely to get away with the team and be out here as a group. There are no distractions out here. We can just crack on with our work. It's good for us as a group. We obviously came here last year and had a successful season. We’ve bonded well with the new signings coming in. It is good they are out here and everyone is getting to know each other - even the lads that were here last year. You just get those real friendships and those bonds to carry us through the season. You spend more time here (with the squad) than what you do at home with your family, so it's such a welcoming group and the gaffer always goes on about bringing in good people, so I think that helps them settle in a lot quicker.
The least we can do is give it our all on trips like this. Personally, I know the team, we want to be the best we can be and achieve as much as we can as a group and individually. Working hard is just a bare minimum, really. Then the fine-line stuff will come the next few weeks. If we can put the graft in now, hopefully, we’re in good stead going forward.
On the sad passing of his wife Laura last September, speaking for the first time…
I'm doing the best I can. The club have been absolutely fantastic. Working with the coaching staff before, they knew what my situation was personally coming into it. The lads have been top-notch. I couldn't have asked for any more. The support from the fans, the messages, the chats; I've bumped into a few fans out and about and the chats and sharing experiences with people has been so supportive. I couldn't thank everyone enough, really. You have your tough days, still to now, and I accept the fact that I'll have days that will be better than others, but football is such a good distraction for me. I come in and I can work and shut off from everything for five or six hours and be around the lads. It helps massively.
On tributes paid to Laura by the football community after her passing…
It's helped more than what I could ever tell anyone or thank anyone. That is not just me and my family, but obviously Laura's family as well and our close friends. I knew the lads were planning on doing something at Carlisle last September and it only happened on the Tuesday before when we were playing Lincoln in the EFL Trophy. What they did was fantastic. Obviously not a lot of people know, but the whole first team squad and first team staff turned up at Laura’s funeral, which I wasn't aware of until the day. It was a moment I'll want to forget because you don't want to ever have those experiences, but to have the whole team and staff there supporting me and supporting both our families was something I'll never forget.
On football being a welcome distraction…
It definitely is. When someone's kicking a ball at you and you're having a laugh with the lads, you forget about things that are at home and whatnot. It has been a welcome distraction and the pressures and the enjoyment of doing it. It's obviously given me a different perspective on not just life, but on football.
On last season’s promotion campaign…
On the football side, it was just how we just stuck together the whole year that was special. Stuff went on, my personal stuff and other things too, and it brings everyone closer together. That's why these trips away are so good. You get to learn about each other's personal life. The gaffer is big on us doing these talks where we speak openly about family history and ourselves and our club careers and stuff that hasn't gone right and things that we want to do. As difficult as it is sometimes to speak in front of a group, in those moments when things aren't going right, you can look back and say that everyone's got each other's back. Let's just stick together and we'll keep doing what we're doing, and we'll be all right. Thankfully, last year, that seemed to work for us.
On young Jack Thompson joining the squad in Spain and becoming a mentor…
Tommo’s got a great pedigree, being away with England at youth level already. It's been so good having him here and some of the other young lads up with us and training with us. It's a massive opportunity for them all and one that they need to embrace and try and take. If they're with us all the time, they're in the gaffer’s eye, they're in Andy Warrington’s eye. If you come up and you do well, you never know where it's going to take you. They've been brilliant and it's been nice to work with them and give me a bit more rest as well in between sessions. They've done really well. Honestly, it's good to give them some experience and some tips on how to slow down the session when you need a bit of a breather and stuff like that. It's something I've always felt like I've been ahead of my years from playing quite early. It's something you take and you want to help them out. I was that age once, so if I can give him something, even if it's just one thing that might help him, it feels like it's the least I can do.