Jurgen Klinsmann shocks USA's Premier League stars by insisting they join his boot camp as soon as domestic season finishes



USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann has shocked his Premier League players by insisting they join up for his World Cup boot camp in California immediately after the season finishes in England.

Klinsmann wants to make America the fittest nation in Brazil this summer and has already planned a punishing training schedule that includes double-sessions on most days.



The camp will begin on May 14 and Klinsmann wants his four English-based players Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Geoff Cameron and Jozy Altidore there despite it being less than 72 hours after the final Premier League fixtures are played on May 11.



Task master: Klinsmann wants his players on boot camp duty in California

It means the players will have to get the first available long-haul flights after their club matches in order to arrive in time and they are privately worried about suffering fatigue from such a tough routine when their team-mates from the MLS have only just started their regular season.

Klinsmann however believes the two-week camp at Stanford University between San Francisco and San Jose is crucial for his squad to build the necessary fitness to take on Germany, Portugal and Ghana in the so-called Group of Death.



The coach, a former World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990, picked Stanford because its dry climate means he will be able to push the players harder.

‘We have already planned the training sessions - everything is worked out,’ he said.



‘The climate is ideal - we can really work the team hard. We can add more sessions in that period than we normally would do.



‘We can risk it that the guys end up with some tired legs because they can put them up in the evening.

‘Through a lot of work we will benefit in Brazil. The more we do in Stanford, the better we will do in Brazil. It will be a lot of work but in a positive environment, an energy environment of a college campus with amazing facilities.

Stoke's Geoff Cameron is one of the USA players based in England

‘Afterwards, the players will feel better with themselves to attack the big nations.’



Klinsmann earned a reputation as a deep thinker in a glittering career as a player with Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Spurs, Bayern Munich and Germany. He also led Germany to the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 2006 as manager.



But there are also worries that he pushes the players too intensely in preparing for games.

Everton's Tim Howard could still be fighting for Champions League football on the final day of the season

Everton goalkeeper Howard, Aston Villa No1 Guzan, Sunderland striker Altidore and Stoke defender Cameron have made 145 apperances between them for club and country this season.



In contrast, England manager Roy Hodgson is not asking his players to meet up until May 19.



America will play a friendly against Azerbaijan in San Francisco on May 27 before further warm-up matches in New York and Florida. Their World Cup opener against Ghana takes place on June 16.

The USA side kick off their World Cup campaign against Ghana on June 16