By Mark Heys
June 27 2007

The Bolton Wanderers squad will head to the mountains this coming Friday as Sammy Lee takes his Trotters squad to the small Austrian town of Irdning for a team bonding and training exersice ahead of what is sure to be a tough pre-season.

Irdning is located at the base of the Alps and is the latest in a long line of overseas towns which the club have visited since their return to the top flight adding to Bormio in Italy, Bad Ragaz in Switzerland and Poland (scene of the infamous cooling tank in 2002 where the players had to sit in a human like fridge).

Wanderers chief Lee says that every player will be severly monitored and tested ahead of Bolton's important trip to South Korea in next month's Peace Cup competition.

Speaking to the clubs official website, the recently appointed manager said that his players are looking forward to getting back to the normal routine after a brief rest. 

"We are really looking forward to getting back into the swing of pre-season, It doesn't seem too long before we were playing our last game of last season. The players and coaching staff are well rested and are eager to get back for what will be demanding campaign.

"We will spend a week in Austria working on fitness and full preparation. This will be a week-long intensive training camp.We won't be playing any matches out there but will focus on all aspects of the game in readiness for the trip to South Korea next month.

Lee says that the training facilities on offer in Austria are of an excellent standard and the climate there will suit the squad before they embark on their journey to the Far East.

"The facilities in Austria are perfect for what we need. Everything is in place for ideal preparation. From the fitness facilities to the spas everything is just right - even the climate is ideal."

The trip to Austria is all about preparation and focus according to Lee who will look to prepare an individual programme for his players dependant on their fitness levels and injury status.

"The focus will be on preparation and focussing the players' minds on what is expected of them during the next few weeks and the season ahead, The players are back in on Thursday and we will spend all day testing them. Our training schedule will be specifically targeted at different groups - depending on the levels of fitness of each and every player. The fitness tests gauge what level we are at and how far we have to go before reaching our optimum levels."