Ricardo Highlights Pre-Season's Importance
- Ricardo Pereira speaks to LCFC TV about Leicester City's return to pre-season training
- A host of Foxes players have been back at Belvoir Drive since Monday morning
- Ricardo is pleased to be back among his team-mates ahead of the new campaign
- City are set to head to France next week for a six-day pre-season training camp
Several Foxes players returned to Belvoir Drive on Monday morning to regroup and commence their preparations for the Club's sixth successive Premier League season.
A large group will travel to Évian-les-Bains in northern France next week as Brendan Rodgers continues to assess the fitness of his youthful squad over the summer.
For Ricardo, the Club's 2018/19 Player and Players' Player of the Season, the upcoming campaign is one which has inspired everyone to commit themselves to their training this week.
Ricardo: Now We Build For 2019/20
Leicester City defender Ricardo Pereira highlights the importance of pre-season in conversation with LCFC TV. Use 'CC' to manage subtitles.
Asked how his summer went, the Portuguese right-back said: "Very good! I spent time with family and friends in Portugal. It was very good and it’s good to forget a little bit of the football and to enjoy."
However, after a deserved break on the continent, the Leicester defender now feels sufficiently rested as excitement continues to build among the Foxes camp for the 2019/20 season.
"It’s very good to be back," he added. "Of course, we like to spend time with family, but we feel we want to come back here to train, to play and to be with the team. It’s going to be tough, but it’s good.
Afternoon Training Session At Belvoir Drive
Leicester City's first team squad were joined by players from the Development Squad and Academy on the outdoor pitches on their first day of pre-season training.
"It’s always difficult, even if we work in the summer on holidays. When you arrive here, it’s always different and tough. We have to work hard but we know we’re working for something... to be good when the season starts."
Ahead of Sunday's departure for Évian, Ricardo is looking forward to spending quality time with his colleagues and getting to know new team-mates James Justin and Ayoze Pérez.
"I think it will be very good," he continued. "We will stay close together to build team spirit and we know that’s very important for us, for the long season that is coming, to arrive stronger."