Maintenance training to get underway for Saddlers

Many people say footballers are overpaid and have an easy lifestyle....not if Jon Whitney can help it!

The Saddlers physio/fitness guru has put the entire first team squad on a special maintenance programme to make sure that the team is ready come August for the new season.

The squad will report to the training ground over the next coming month to maintain their fitness levels before pre-season training gets underway on July 2nd.

Whitney told the official Walsall website: 'These sessions will give the players the strength and conditioning they need for pre-season training.

'Research has shown that after two weeks of inactivity, players can lose as much as 20% of their fitness levels.'

Despite this, Whitney did say the players would be given a two-week break in June to recuperate.

He also told the official website: 'Rest is very important but the players need to keep themselves ticking over and these maintenance sessions are designed to do exactly that.'

The players have already had a mini-break since the end of the season on May 2nd, but it is now time for the squad to resume training in order to be prepared for next season's challenges.

In other news, former trialist Marcus Hahnemann has been released by Reading, along with defenders Michael Duberry, Graeme Murty, and striker Leroy Lita.

For the very latest League One odds

For massive weekly jackpots - Play the Football Pools Online

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.