Middlesbrough players 'mean business' as return to training delights excited Chris Wilder

Chris Wilder is delighted with his Middlesbrough players after their return to training in the past few days. The Boro boss is excited by the levels he's seen in the first week of pre-season training and believes it shows his message that they mean business this season got across.

Players enjoyed a break since the end of last season as they jetted off all over the globe to enjoy their time off after a long and demanding campaign last term. But after missing out on the play-offs Wilder was insistent that he wanted to challenge for a top-six finish at the very least, and ensured the players he plans to retain this summer were aware of the standards he would be expecting.

As is customary in the modern game, players were sent away with programmes aimed at ensuring they kept a level of fitness during their holiday. While the bodies needed to rest, it was important they returned with a good base level of fitness for the start of pre-season in order to be able to tackle the summer head on, with Wilder wanting a fast start to the season next term.

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And updating on the first week of pre-season training, an excited and delighted Wilder told the club website: “It’s great to be back. I’ve had a bit of a break but I think everybody who works in football knows a manager’s work is never done, especially through a busy summer and an exciting one hopefully.

“We’re looking to attract some good players to set us up for what I’m sure will be an exciting season. There are a few changes that we looked at when we first come in. At Rockliffe there were a few changes we identified that were needed and thankfully we’ve been able to undergo those renovations that