As the players returned for the first day of pre-season, one player’s summer was far from a holiday.
David Martin, who missed the end of last season through injury, has been working hard to get fit for the new season.
Having missed none of the 46 League games the previous term Martin has been raring to go all summer. “I’ve enjoyed it and it’s flown by as it does every year. I know I’ve got to go into the new season and hit the ground running.”
Speaking to mkdons.com, Martin said: “This close season is the hardest I have worked; I have only had about 5 or 6 days off”. The 27-year-old goalkeeper was taken off during an away match against Carlisle in February and missed the final 16 games of the season.
Speaking to mkdons.com, Martin said: “This close season is the hardest I have worked; I have only had about 5 or 6 days off”. The 27-year-old goalkeeper was taken off during an away match against Carlisle in February and missed the final 16 games of the season.
The Romford-born shot stopper was optimistic about overcoming the injuries he sustained last year. After getting over the back injury he suffered a rib injury that ruled him out for further matches but Martin says he feels nothing going into the new season, adding: “I’m 100 percent over it, I feel great now it’s totally pain free and I’m raring to go.”
Martin signed a new two-year-deal in the summer and committed to the Club until June 2015, however, the former Liverpool goalie knows it will not be easy to walk back and get the number one jersey, he said: “At the start of every season you get excited and nervous and I keep going to bed thinking about the first game. I’ve got to get through pre-season, work hard and you never know where the number one shirt will end up.”
mkdons.com caught up with Martin as he reported back to stadiummk today to undergo a number of medical and fitness tests with the Club’s medical team. The hard work, however, starts tomorrow for the players when they return to the training pitch.
Martin said: “Today was about testing your flexibility, your strength in your hamstrings and your quads and also the dreaded fat test, which I’m quite pleased with after working so hard in the summer as I have come down after missing three months out. They are done to see where you are physically and where you’re going to be and where you need to improve.”
Pre-season is the dreaded time for any footballer but Martin is looking forward to getting back into action. “The first couple of weeks it’s tough but once you get used to being pushed to your limit everyday your body does harden up to it. Once you hit that first two weeks, every time you get out of bed feeling in pain you just tend to grin and bear it to the next day and then start enjoying your football.”
