Goalkeeper Scott Fox believes a short, sharp training camp in Spain will greatly enhance Ross County’s preparations for the new season.
After training camps in Budapest, Hungary, in the last two years, the Staggies’ goalkeeper is looking forward to a change of scenery as work begins today at the renowned La Manga Club football centre on Murcia’s Mediterranean shore.
County will play former La Liga team Real Murcia tomorrow before pitting themselves against touring French second tier opposition in Valenciennes FC on Thursday night.
Just as beneficial, though, will be the five days of toil in the heat before manager Jim McIntyre’s squad heads back to Scotland on Friday.
The Dingwall visitors beat Elgin City 1-0 at Borough Briggs on Saturday, with trialist John Herron, the former Celtic midfielder, scoring the second-half winner.
Fox said: “The Elgin game was all about getting some game time behind us after a lot of hard running and training work. It is just about getting the eye in again, so it was beneficial in that way.
“It was valuable, especially with us going to La Manga now. There, we will face a bit more quality in the opposition.
“The manager has been training us hard and we were a bit tired against Elgin. It then comes down to concentration levels and we showed we are going in the right direction.
“The La Manga trip will help us become more familiar with some of the new faces. We know we are going there for hard work and the teams we are going to be playing are going to be a good level as well.
“We are just hoping to get up to full match-sharpness as soon as possible, raise the fitness levels and then, hopefully, be ready to start the League Cup group matches far more positively than last year.”
Fox knows there will be no holiday mood and added: “The manager has done his homework on this trip and we are there for five days of hard work to get us ready for the start of the season.
“It is going to be draining in the heat as well, so we need to take that into consideration but we are looking forward to it.”
