- Leicester City played out a 0-0 draw with Burton Albion in pre-season on Saturday
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall starred for 45 minutes in the clash with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's Brewers
- The Academy graduate was impressed by the raucous nature of the Blue Army's support
- He also provides an update on his own fitness as the squad continue their pre-season work
The Foxes were backed in numbers by the Blue Army in Staffordshire and, although a goalless stalemate was followed by a penalty shootout reverse, Dewsbury-Hall pointed to the fitness gains which that clash will have resulted in.
"It's nice to get back in with the lads and get some minutes under the belt," the Academy graduate, who impressed on loan at Luton Town last term, told LCFC TV. "Today was about fitness and getting minutes back after having quite a long rest, to be honest, so that's the main thing we're looking at today.
"Obviously, we’re a bit disappointed to lose in the end, but the main focus was just getting minutes back into legs. We’ve only been back just under two weeks, so it's just getting a run out and we'll keep going on from here.
"I feel really good. I thought I came back nice and strong for the start of pre-season. The lads have worked really hard over these two weeks. It's been a tough two weeks. Unfortunately, you can't replicate games, so it's nice just to get the game and the minutes under the belt and we’ll just kick on now.
"We’ve got some games next week and we’ll get some more minutes and look on from there."
Those fitness levels are rising incrementally this summer as the Club's backroom team deploy a tailored training plan in order to prepare the players for the upcoming 2021/22 campaign – one Shepshed-based Dewsbury-Hall hopes to contribute to.
"I think we all saw that we were doing the fitness runs on the first day, which sort of sets the tone for the whole pre-season," he added. "To be honest, we've just been doing a lot of game-related work, a lot of big sided games and runs in between. It’s been a good intensity and a lot of work.
"It's nice just to see our fitness growing and growing and, over pre-season, it will keep growing until the start of the season when we’ll be bang on it, ready for the Premier League. It's now just getting those fine little details back on the pitch, everyone getting used to playing together again.
"We had eight weeks off, so some lads are just blowing the cobwebs away so, yes, we'll keep working hard in training, a bit more on the ball, possession stuff, creating chances…. hopefully that will come out in the next couple of games."
The 22-year-old paid tribute to the Foxes faithful, too, after the travelling contingent provided a continuous soundtrack to the occasion in Burton.
"Oh, they were great, Dewsbury-Hall continued. "I thought they were quality! I’ve obviously not been able to experience them a lot as a player and if that's what it's going to be like, then I'm excited to be playing for Leicester!
"Hopefully I can keep getting some chances and with them behind you, you can only play well. They’re a driving force and I don’t know how many there was today, but it felt like there was loads, so they're great, they’re a credit [to the Club]."