McGlynn’s delight as Raith Rovers begin pre-season training

March 3 was the last time Raith Rovers played and, with the first team squad starting to get put through its paces on Monday morning at Pratt Street, manager McGlynn said there was a palpable sense of relief and excitement from everyone involved.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said, “it’s been a long time coming - it was a bit like Christmas!

“It was just great to get back on the pitch and be amongst the players.

“We’ve been waiting for so long, seeing them all together for the first time and obviously there’s the introduction of the new players as well.

“So it was just great to be able to get them all back in and see how they were and get going.

“The players were feeling exactly the same.

“They’ve missed it so much and were desperate to get back, the new players coming in were wanting to be a part of it.

“There was loads of enthusiasm as you would expect.

“It was a good first day and now the hard work has started for the season coming up.”

McGlynn says his training schedule includes and mixture of fitness and ball work which he has included from the off.

“We ran all the fitness tests then we went right into the ball work side of things,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor their fitness but we will be putting things into place with regards to the way we want to play. Everything that we are doing will be done at a tempo and a pace that will increase their fitness.

“Outwith the running anything that we do with a ball will be to get fit and to also understand how we are going to play.

“That’s how we like to do it.

“As an individual you can go and kick a ball against a wall, and that’s good, but it’s nothing like having to react to things in a training session.

“You have to get used to all these different movements that you’ve not had to make over the past five or six months.

“It’s all very well running around a park or running from one line to another, but it’s all the sharp, quick movements you have to do and react and adjust and move.

“Those sorts of things that you can’t replicate when you are training by yourself.”

Included in the squad, of course, were a number of new signings and McGlynn was pleased with the way they settled in at their first session.

“Everyone did fine.

“Obviously they are new to the club and to the other players and it will take just a little bit of time for everyone to get together and understand each other’s strengths and the weaknesses that all players have, and to work well together.

“There’s obviously differences in training wherever you go too, so they will need to pick up on the way that we do things, but that won’t take long.

“I’m sure they enjoyed their first day.”

Also amongst the squad are 16-year-old Modern Apprentice signings Kyle Bow and Quinn Coulson, and McGlynn says he would be happy to play them if he thinks they are ready for first team action, regardless of their tender years.

“The first thing is we get them involved with the first team training.

“Then, like everyone else, if they become the best player in training, and if they become one of the best players in pre-season games, then they give themselves a right good opportunity to play in the team.

“With us, if you’re good enough it doesn’t come down to age.

“If you’re 17 or 37 and you’re the best player in that particular position, then you’ll get a chance.”