Cove Rangers captain Mitch Megginson believes gelling together quickly is key to his club’s hopes of having a successful season.
Cove boss Paul Hartley has signed six players so far as he looks to lead the club back to the Championship following relegation on the final day of last season.
The club’s move to a hybrid model means the new arrivals are all on full-time contracts.
All six players are in the early 20s with central defender Will Gillingham the oldest at 24.
At the age of 30 Megginson is one of the senior members of the squad now and he knows helping his new team-mates adapt to their new surroundings quickly will be key.
He said: “I realise I’m one of the senior players in the team and all these young lads coming in is making me feel even older.
“It’s important to get everyone bedded in and gelled together as quickly as possible.
“The new guys are training more than us so we have to make the most of the opportunities we do have to train together.
“On Saturday in our first session it was clear they are good lads and keen to progress their careers.
“The older guys already here are keen to help them develop as well so I think we’re going to have a good mix.
“I’m not entirely sure what the plan is yet but the idea is they’ll train through the day and the nights we’re in they’ll join us as well so we can train together and get that cohesion.”
Five of the six new faces have SPFL experience
Gillingham is the only new arrival without SPFL experience.
Megginson believes the lower league minutes for defenders Aaron Darge and Luke Strachan, midfielder Sena and strikers Rumarn Burrell and Kyle Connell, will be vital.
He said: The guys have all played at a good level and come from a full-time background at bigger clubs.
“They are keen to progress their career, they know what the league is about having played before and they are joining boys who have won this league before.
“Had it been boys who were unsure of what lies ahead it might have taken a little longer for them to settle but that’s not the case.
“The most important thing now is getting ourselves ready for the new season.”
Championship return is the goal for Cove
After two promotions in three seasons, relegation was the first significant disappointment for Cove since winning promotion from the Highland League.
A combination of managerial changes and the demands of playing at a higher level stalled Cove’s progress but Megginson is confident his club can bounce back.
He said: “In my time at Cove I’ve been lucky that most times it has been highs for us but last season was a rare low.
“You can pinpoint a few things which might not have gone our way.
“We were in the Championship for the first time and it wasn’t smooth sailing on or off the pitch.
“But at the end of the day we weren’t good enough on the pitch and that’s why we were relegated.
“You could go back over games and pinpoint moments where we dropped points but if I do that too much I’ll end up frying my brain.
“Last season is done and dusted and the aim now is to build a team with the longer term goal of getting back into the Championship.
“It’s going to be another tough league this year with a lot of full-time clubs in the division.”
Preparations begin with visit of the Pars
Hartley’s side play their first pre-season match on Wednesday when League One champions Dunfermline Athletic visit Balmoral Stadium (7.30pm).
Megginson expects a tough shift against the Pars as they prepare for their return to the Championship.
He said: “Last year we had only been back a session or so when we played Dunfermline and they gave us the run around.
“We know we’ll get a good workout in terms of our fitness as they’ve been back a while.
“It’ll be tough for us but the important thing is getting a touch of the ball and building up the match fitness.
“We’ve got plenty of games to get ourselves into condition.
“We’ve got a lot of new players and a lot of work to be done.
“Right now we’re focused on getting everyone up to speed and ready then going out and being competitive.”
