Jason Shackell believes Derby County’s training camp in Portugal has been a beneficial part of their preparations for the 2016/17 season.

Nigel Pearson’s squad are due to fly home today after a week in the Algarve, during which time they took in regular double sessions and a friendly fixture against Portuguese champions Benfica in the Algarve Football Cup.

Shackell, who joined Derby a year ago this week from Burnley for his second spell at the club, says the time on foreign shores presented an ideal opportunity for Pearson to lay the foundations for the upcoming campaign.

He told dcfc.co.uk: “The trip has been really good.

“The gaffer and staff have been able to get some good work into us and start to get across their ideas.

“It has been a trip to lay the foundations for the season and in that regard it has been great.

“It has been tough and very warm. Pre-season is a tough time but it’s all ‘in the bank’ as they say and hopefully all this hard work will pay off.

Shackell says the squad has quickly bought into Pearson’s methods.

The 52-year-old, who took over as Derby’s manager in May, has overseen just over two weeks of pre-season training after the squad reported back for duty at the beginning of July.

The 32-year-old says the next two-and-a-half weeks present plenty of chances for everyone in the squad to show Pearson what they are capable of.

Upon returning to the UK, the Rams face Walsall, Chesterfield and Sheffield United before rounding off their pre-season campaign with a trip to Germany to face Karlsruher.

He said: “The first two weeks have been great; he has clear messages about what he wants – which is what we need and want.

“Everyone is buying into what he wants and we have all been putting a shift in on the training ground.

“We are going to be a fit team and the signs at this early stage are positive.

“Over the next few weeks it is about fine-tuning things and we have to be ready to impress over the games.

“We know we need to be a bit sharper and I am sure we will be ready to go for the first game against Brighton.”

Shackell sat out the friendly against last Saturday in the Algarve Football Cup, but the centre-back hopes to feature this weekend’s visit to Sky Bet League 1 side Walsall.

He had what he describes as a ‘little calf issue’ earlier in pre-season, but he has been taking part in full training sessions since the squad arrived in Portugal.

“Everyone is raring to go, myself included, because the season isn’t far off,”he said.

“I had a week off training with a little calf issue, but I’m feeling good now and back in training.

“I want to keep pushing forward and hopefully I can be involved in the game on Saturday.”





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