Curtis Nelson has praised the ‘core group of really good people’ in Derby County’s dressing room ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season.
The Rams’ centre-back is preparing to enter his second season in Paul Warne’s squad after last season’s promotion-winning campaign, which also saw him named as the Jack Stamps Player of the Season.
Derby's pre-season games programme continues with a clash against Sky Bet League Two side Chesterfield on the road on Wednesday evening (7:30pm kick-off), with three more friendlies to follow ahead of the big kick-off at Blackburn Rovers next month.
Nelson spoke to RamsTV following the squad’s first training session back in Derbyshire on Monday, after their week-long warm-weather training camp in Alicante, to discuss the team bonding in the heat and ramping up the intensity as the new season approaches.
On the off-season and returning to training...
It was busy. It was probably the longest we've had off, in my career anyway, obviously other than the COVID-19 period. As the off-season goes, it was like eight or nine weeks. It was good. We had two weeks of downtime, to let your body recover, and then it was back into the sessions that we had been set.
It started off with two or three sessions a week, then built up to three or four, with more intensity. Some of the staff were still in at the training ground, so we came in a few times and just touched base and got bits and pieces worked on if we needed to. The boys have come back in really good shape. I think that’s probably been echoed already by the staff, but the boys came back really fit.
On the squad’s warm-weather training camp in Spain...
It's always good. Getting to know the new lads, it's an intense kind of environment. Obviously, we're not on top of each other, but we're living together for a week. We had some good sessions, got some game time in and minutes in the legs. It was flipping hot! Hopefully we don't get 35 degrees heat back here! It was good to train in the conditions and get the work in.
On welcoming new players to the group...
You always put your arm around anyone who comes in, whether they've been around the block a few times or are a young lad. It's just about letting them know that if you need anything, give us a shout; any of the lads. Everyone's really welcoming.
The gaffer obviously chooses his players wisely and knows that you've got a core group of really good people. I don't think anyone will struggle for someone to lean on, as such.
On the nature of friendlies as the season approaches...
They start off as about getting match minutes, getting your match sharpness, getting your movements right, your distances and all that kind of stuff. It starts to get more intense now. The team starts to take shape, not so much this week. We're playing a longer time on the pitch, putting more phases of play together, things we've worked on in training, and putting them into practice. The intensity starts to ramp up before Blackburn now.
