Sheffield Wednesday in Portugal: Owls star hopes to reap the rewards from gruelling pre-season training camp

Sheffield Wednesday have quickly got back down to business.

Manager Steve Bruce is determined to whip his team into shape in pre-season, starting with their warm-weather training camp in the Algarve. He is desperate to improve their fitness levels so they can carry out his instructions over a long, demanding Championship season.

Some players burned between 800 to 1,000 calories in their gruelling Tuesday morning session. They clocked up the miles, with most of their work being without the ball.

But a summer of sweat and toil holds no fears for Steven Fletcher.

Why Atdhe Nuhiu has missed the start of pre-season trainingThe 32-year-old striker said: "The 10 days will be a lot of running and we all know that.

"It doesn't get any easier as you get older! If anything, it gets harder but we know what to expect in the 10 days in Portugal.

"It is hard work and when we come back (to England) we will get a few games under our belt. We will get the minutes in and that's the most important thing. It's about all the lads getting minutes under their belt before the season starts."

Fletcher said he enjoyed his summer break but admits "he was ready to come back after about two to three weeks".

"It is when you start running during the off season and you feel as though you might as well be back training because you are running around on your holidays," he added.

The big Scot is convinced the Owls will reap the benefits from their Portugal training camp in the long-term.

He said: "The boys like going away. When you are just at the training ground, you leave after training and go back to your families. But being with each other for 10 days is always good. You are with each other all the time.

"It is massively important for team-bonding, especially when you get new players coming in. You get to know them a lot better rather than just seeing them for a couple of hours in training before you go home."

Dom Howson’s Portugal video diary