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David Meyler isn’t fearing Hull City’s Premier League pre-season – he’s more afraid of his dad’s!

The Ireland and Hull midfielder reckons he will return to the Tigers fitter than any other player, thanks to his father’s rigorous pre pre-season.

Dad John, a former GAA player and now coach, insists his son puts the hard graft in during the ­summer when he visits home.

“I’ll play some golf, relax with friends and family in Ireland and do a bit of charity work with ‘Faye gives back’ charity, but then I’ll start training,” Meyler explains.

“I’ll do a lot with my dad. My dad’s training and Steve Bruce’s is different – my dad works me a lot harder! But I’ll look get through it.

“We’re at the stage now where in the ­Premier League or even the Championship, teams are so advanced.

"We have a booklet of everything we need to do, so we’ll be all ready to go on the first day. That’s what its all about.

“I did a mini pre-season with my dad last year and it was harder than ­Sunderland’s pre-season.

"But what was great about it when I came back I was fully fit, fitter than everybody and in great shape, so it was great.

"I couldn’t await to get the ball out and get playing.

“You look at the old ­culture, where pre-season was to get fit. Nowadays pre-season is just to keep you ticking over and get you sharp on the ball.

“Everyone comes back fit now – it’s the ­competitiveness in football these days.”

Hull, as Premier League new boys, will need more than just fitness to prolong their stay in the top flight.

The Tigers kick off their season away to Jose ­Mourinho’s Chelsea, followed by the visit of ­Norwich and then a trip to ­Manchester City.

But Meyler insists the players won’t be fazed by games against some of the league’s biggest names – ­because there are no egos in the Tigers squad.

“You look at the togetherness of this team and it’s clear; certain squads haven’t had that,” he says.

“But if you look at ours, yes, we have a ­terrific manager but we also have a great bunch of lads.

“We all got on great and there’s no egos. ­Nobody thinks ‘I’m better than him’ or this or that. ­Everybody is in it together.

“When I first joined I said the team was like a big family, the lads were all so close.

“Quite often about six or seven of us would get together on a Friday night before a home game and have dinner ­together, Paul ­McShane would cook dinner. It’s great.

“We’re all ­together and driving in the same direction.”

Meyler insists Hull are back where they belong, adding: “We worked really hard to get where we are at Hull, and it was fully deserved.

“A lot of people underestimated us, but the ­manager was terrific and we’re back in the ­Premier League where we ­deserve to be.”