Speaking the day before his 27th birthday, Bobby Grant’s preparations for the new season are well underway.
“It’s been a tough week and I’m training tomorrow on my birthday. It’s part of the job and luckily me for me I love coming to work.”
This is Grant’s 11th pre-season, his first was as a fresh faced 16 year-old at Accrington Stanley back in 2006.
Now seen as one of the key figures in head coach Uwe Rosler’s plans for the upcoming Sky Bet League One campaign, the Liverpudlian is relishing the summer ahead.
“It was a long season and one that I thoroughly enjoyed – I played 55 games so I think I earned the right to have a nice break!
“I was going into games and knowing that I was fit enough to get through it. When you’re winning and doing well, you don’t think about being tired. We had a great season but we have to forget about it now and move on.
“It’s a young team, with a young squad, but it’s very exciting to be a part of. The squad is hungry and the team want to do well.”
Rewind twelve months and Grant was part of the travelling party which spent a week in Holland, with the work done there laying the foundations for a fourth-place finish in League One.
It shall be the former Scunthorpe United man’s first pre-season under Rosler, with the German set to oversee seven days training in Austria.
“Going to Austria will be good for team bonding but we know it’s going to be hard work.
“We’ve got two tough games out there against strong opposition. It will be a great chance for the manager and his staff to get their ideas across.
“We’ll enjoy it, but we know it will be tough.”
Grant’s long-term roommate and car sharing teammate David Ball left the club last month but Grant – who passed 100 career appearances for the Cod Army last term – has wasted no time in finding a replacement.
“Conor [McAleny] is a very exciting player and a very good addition to our squad. We travel in together and is part of my car school. I haven’t told Bally yet!
“Hopefully me and the other lads can supply Conor because we know he can put the ball in the net.
“We have a lot of experience in the squad with myself, Pondy, Ash Eastham and Cian Bolger to name a few. These are lads who have played a lot of football at this level. I’m sure we can have the same team spirit as last season and build on our success.”
Watch Bobby in action next season with a Fleetwood Town season ticket. Available online, in store at Highbury Stadium or over the phone by calling 01253 775080.