IT’S been a really good few days for us in Spain so far.

I’m not too sure whether or not the weather here is as hot as it has been back home but it’s still been very warm.

It’s probably not quite as hot as it was last year when we came here but it’s still been very tough and we’re training three times a day.

One of those sessions is in the gym but the facilities are excellent so it’s always hugely beneficial for us. It’s also good as a group to be together 24/7, especially when we have a few new signings and trialists.

It’s a great way for us to get to know each other and it certainly happens much quicker than it would have done if we had stayed in Southend.

Out here we’re having breakfast, lunch and dinner together and we have our downtime at the same time too.

Back home, everyone disappears after training but it’s not like that here and there are no distractions either.

It’s certainly a good way to prepare for the season and we can get a lot of work done in a short space of time.

The sports science guys are really happy with our fitness levels so it’s been going well and we’re shaping up nicely ahead of the new season now.

Normally on a trip like this we make the new signings all stand up and sing but it’s been so busy and tiring so far that we haven’t really had much time.

We also like to make it as embarrassing as possible so if we’re going out for a team meal in the town one night it could well happen then.

But it’s something the rest of us look forward to so we could opt to make some of them wait until an away trip at the start of the season so it can all last a bit longer!

Despite the lack of singing we have still had a few funny moments, some of which I certainly can’t mention in the Echo!

But the strangest, without doubt, was watching Ted Smith and Jack Bridge walking around and heading into bushes to try and catch some Pokemon.

Ryan Leonard has been giving it a go as well and apparently because we’re in some mountains in the middle of nowhere there have been some quite rare ones to catch.

However, being from a completely different generation I have to be honest and admit I have no idea what they’re doing and it all seems a little weird to me, especially at their age!