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Owls stars up to speed
SHEFFIELD Wednesday's players are coming back to Hillsborough fitter than ever.
That's the view after the first batch of Owls players reported in yesterday for a fitness check ahead of next week's return to training.
More members of the squad are due back in today for initial testing, and the club's staff were delighted with yesterday's results.
"Everybody who came in was spot on and that's just what we were hoping for," said assistant boss Russ Wilcox who oversaw this initial return. "Now we'll see how today's batch get on.
"When they went off, the players were given a programme by our fitness coach, Tom Little, and this is to help them during the weeks away.
"The days of players going away at the end of a season, doing nothing and then coming back in with pounds to get rid of are long gone.
"Tom structures things just right and we can see, by this initial testing, if players have done the work and, roughly, how much they've done.
"It keeps them on their toes. They know they've to come back in some sort of shape and, if they've done the work, they will be back okay. Players are naturally competitive so they won't want to come in behind their mates.
"Of course, there is some drop off in the fitness level, but we are having players coming back at 80 per cent, which means they are not far off at all. What we have seen so far is that they are returning fitter than ever.
"I think that shows commitment on their part. It's a long way from the old days some years ago when you'd get some players rolling back in overweight after enjoying a nice summer off."
One of the players in was striker Akpo Sodje who has been working hard in the bid to make his injury problems a thing of the past.
The formal return for pre-season training is next Wednesday.
Former Owls player Peter Shirtliff has been confirmed as assistant to Danny Wilson at Swindon.
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Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
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