Colchester United midfielder Harry Pell is pleased to be back at Florence Park for pre-season training.
The twenty eight year old was back at the U's base this week for the start of the preparations for the 2020/21 campaign, but is still keen to get back to sort kind of normality.
On Thursday lunchtime, he told the official website: "It's great to be back and see the smiles on faces after the past few weeks at home."
"But it's still frustrating not to be completely back to normal, you want to get back to giving the lads a cuddle when you see them!
"We're at Stage One of the protocol and going into Stage Two, but there's still a way to go before things are really normal again."
It's a few weeks since the U's Play-Off heartbreak against Exeter City but Pell feels just being in the Play-Off shake up might work to the U's advantage.
He also paid tribute to the youngsters that have moved into the squad from the U23s for their early contribution, but warned them that they will have to stand up and be counted.
"As a group, we should be a bit ahead of the game, having been training for the Play-Off games when some other teams haven't kicked a ball for a very long time."
"There are a few new faces that the players from last year need to get acclimatised to, with the young lads coming into the group.
"They have already shown some of their qualities and it is up to us as a group to not only welcome them in, but to also set the standards we had last year.
"There is a massive pressure on the young lads to put their mark down.
"In training already though, I see the young lads going round smashing people and I tell you what - that's not a bad sign at all, I'd like to see a lot more of that.
"There aren't any hiding places for them, it's going to be a bit like sink or swim for them and it's up to them to show what they can add to the group."
Harry signed for the U's in the summer of 2018, and still has the personal ambition he had two years ago.
He continued: "I signed here personally to help the club and this whole pandemic is something that no-one could have planned for whatsoever."
"It's a situation now that we have to roll our sleeves up, get on with it and be as best prepared as we can be for the season ahead."
See the full interview on iFollow.