Charlie Waller, who signed professional terms with MK Dons ahead of the upcoming season, shared his thoughts after he embarked in his first-ever pre-season programme with the senior squad.
The young defender had grown through the Club’s Academy before being offered a Scholarship with the Under-18s. From there, Waller had impressed enough to earn himself with his first professional senior contract.
The young Don put pen to paper at Stadium MK in early June ahead of the pre-season preparations for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign. When questioned about the pre-season programme with the first team, Waller said “It has been really tough, but also really good.
“It’s been different – I Thought the Under-18s pre-season last year was tough, but compared to this, it’s very different. Although, it’s really been helping me.
“Every day, I’ve been feeling fitter and fitter, but I’m also feeling better on the ball, even when I’m tired. All this work will only improve us in the long run.”
During MK Dons’ pre-season programme, the team had a four-day training camp in Germany, which consisted of five sessions a day following a 6:30am morning run.
“The mood in the camp is better for it.” The defender replied when asked about the tough work during the pre-season training camp. “It was good for us to get up and get going early on, and this hard work will only improve us in the long run.”
On the topic of the early-morning runs, Charlie added “It’s something you can also joke about afterwards. We can all look back on this during the season and have a laugh about it.”
Whilst the physical aspect of pre-season training plays a huge role in the preparation for next season, Charlie was also questioned about the importance of the time spent on and off the field with his new teammates, he responded:
“Being around training and the team every day has helped me bond with and get to know everyone, which can only benefit us going forward.”
