Pre-Season Return For LCFC Women
Players arrived at their base, Belvoir Drive, in the morning, greeting each other for the first time since securing WSL status for a second successive season in May, following an 11th-place finish at the end of 2021/22.
After breakfast in the players' restaurant, it was time for a kit change before the squad headed into a team meeting. A gym session followed, and then, after lunch, further meetings took place, before fitness testing was conducted out on the grass.
While the majority of the squad were back in, defender Ashleigh Plumptre continues her international involvement with Nigeria as they look to defend the Women's African Cup of Nations title in Morocco.
Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Abbie McManus took time out from the schedule to sit down with LCFC TV and reflect on the summer break, as well as looking forward to the rest of the pre-season schedule to come.
“It was obviously really nice to have some time off and the mental break has been really refreshing," she said. "We’ve got our schedule and there’s a few gruelling ones and a few fun sessions along the way.
“It’s going to be tough, but it’s 10 weeks to get fit, which is quite a long pre-season, but it should be fun. We’re all excited. It’s exciting to play top-flight football, it’s obviously everybody’s dream to do that.”
The Foxes have several weeks of intense training to follow, including pre-season friendlies, before the new campaign begins on the weekend of 9-11 September, with the full schedule to be announced, including the 2022/23 WSL fixtures, in mid-July.