LCFC Stars Undergo Pre-Season Testing

- New signings Ron-Robert Zieler and Luis Hernandez were both in attendance 

- Head of Fitness and Conditioning Matt Reeves was pleased with the players’ fitness after they returned from the summer break 

- Zieler and Marc Albrighton both gave their verdicts on pre-season testing 

A total of 14 Leicester City players returned to the Club on Friday to undergo a series of fitness tests ahead of the 2016/17 pre-season campaign. 

Latest signings Ron-Robert Zieler and Luis Hernandez completed their first working day at Belvoir Drive with their new team-mates, minus the Club's international players. 

Alongside them was goalkeeper Ben Hamer, defenders Marcin Wasilewski, Ben Chilwell, Danny Simpson, Robert Huth, Liam Moore and Ritchie De Laet, midfielders Demarai Gray, Gökhan Inler, Marc Albrighton and Tom Lawrence and striker Leonardo Ulloa. 

The City stars underwent a number of tests to measure body composition, power, fitness and strength, giving the Club an idea of what shape each individual player’s body is in. 

Head of Fitness and Conditioning Matt Reeves told Foxes Player HD: “We’ve got a set number of tests that we like to conduct here at Leicester City, and they try to encompass all the different areas of fitness. 

“We can then really try and assess where the players are at and how their close-season programmes have gone. That allows us to really take them forward and prepare them for the start of the season. 

“When they come in, they have their body compositions taken, so we can get a really accurate measure of their skin folds, body fat percentage and muscle percentage. This allows us to see how their bodies have changed during the offseason. 

“They then go onto the bikes in pairs for five minutes for a sub-maximal test, so we can see how hard their hearts are finding that exact level of work, with a number of tests in the gym, including counter-movement jumps to see how much vertical power they can produce following that. 

“We then carry out a bespoke running test that we’ve developed at Leicester City over the years. That gives us a really good indication of where players are at in terms of fitness. It’s an intermittent test. Just like football, it’s full of stops and starts, and not just constant running. 

“We’ll then finish the session by working on their strength, giving them a heavy leg press. That isn’t so much a test, it’s more a session that they’ll then build on throughout pre season. 

“The lads have done well. They know what to expect from us and what we expect of them, so they really try and prepare themselves in the right manner.” 

Among the players returning for pre-season testing on Friday was midfielder Marc Albrighton, whose trademark tireless performances went a long way in helping the Foxes to their first ever Premier League title. 

“I feel good,”Albrighton said. “It’s obviously good to come back in and see all the lads. We’ve got some tough weeks ahead of us in pre season, but it’s nice to meet back up with everyone. Everyone’s in high spirits and we’ve had a good break, so we’re refreshed and ready to go. 

“If you ask most of the lads, they’ll often say that they’re ready to come back after the summer break. When you’re a footballer, you’re used to being healthy and training every day. 

“When you’re off, you’re not doing that, so I’d imagine some are glad to be back in a routine, and I’m certainly one of those. 

“Not everyone is here today, but the majority are in now. We’ve got a couple of new faces too – it’s always nice to freshen the place up a little bit. It’s good to see everyone, and we’re all looking forward to the new season.” 

Zieler, a World-Cup winning goalkeeper with Germany in 2014, also reflected positively on his first testing session, and is eagerly awaiting a pre-season schedule that includes International Champions Cup clashes with Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

Zieler said: “I’m really excited. It’s nice to be here after a long break and I’m looking forward to starting back. Today was our first day of testing – not everyone is back yet, but I’ve met some of the players and a lot of the staff and I’m happy to be here now. 

“We have a good pre season schedule. We’re travelling quite a bit, so now it’s time to get prepared for that. We have a few weeks now to prepare for the start of the season.” 

Check back into LCFC.com tomorrow to find out how Gray and Simpson got on during Friday’s pre-season testing session.