It was a pretty much run of the mill morning with breakfast (which can be taken at any time between 08.00 and 09.15) the kick start to the day. Needless to say there’s more chance of a queue after 9am as opposed to 8am. Having said that I’m bit of an early bird, yet each morning when I’ve come down to our dedicated area, I walk past the meeting room and there’s Thomas working on his plans for the day ahead. It’s the same at our Jersey Road Training Ground where Thomas is invariably one of the first to arrive around 7am.

As per usual there was medical prep as a precursor for the gym session which today was relocated to the indoor running track area, which was well served with any number of weird and wonderful fitness inducing apparatus.

-Then it was back out on to the pitch with warm ups followed by an eleven a-side game. But not before there was a continuation of asides and comments about the atrocious behaviour of our Analysis Team yesterday (see Blog Day 3). But the two of them remained unmoved and intransigent much to the chagrin of Sergi to name but one.

Once again I almost had to pinch myself knowing that I was there watching a Premier League side’s training session. I do feel very privileged.

Today the pitch alongside ours saw Real Betis themselves going through their drills. The La Liga side, who arrived yesterday, are preparing for a friendly against Championship side Derby County tomorrow.

Then it was back to the main building for lunch.

The afternoon saw the players split into three groups to undertake a programme entitled Recovery session, Mobility (in the gym) and Pool. In truth I can give you little or no detail as I myself had a number of things to work on and couldn’t partake in any of the sessions, as much as I would have liked to.

Then it was time for dinner and, of course, tonight we had four more entertainers. It should have been five but because of special conditions, which I was advised of late on, I was deprived of introducing, “on stage” my all-time favourite. As you may imagine Steven Pressley, our Head of Individual Development, who advised me of the special conditions, was gutted not to get the opportunity to sing a Presley number but he didn’t want the other four singers thinking he was only there to help their Individual development.

So who were our entertainers tonight. First up was Analyst Jack Wilson. Being the age I am I was rather hoping he would have gone with “Reet Petite” originally recorded by his namesake Jackie Wilson. But no, he went with 500 Miles by The Proclaimers….and he sung it in Scottish! A valiant effort which got everybody singing along to the chorus. Cleverly done Jack! Then I thought I was introducing a tribute act to Emerson, Lake and Palmer when I introduced Myles Peart-Harris. I thought 500 Miles would have been a good choice for our newcomer but he chose Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”. I have to say his performance was up there with the best.

Then it was the turn of our Head of Content, Stu Wakeford. He took on “If You Got the Money” by Jamie T. Very accomplished performance and word perfect (says he who had never heard of it).

Finally, following an appeal by the Players, young Kit Assistant Aaron O’Shea stepped up and brought the house down with his version of The Back Street Boys’ “I Want It That Way”. That brought an end to one of the better nights of entertainment we have had to endure.

And so to bed.

Peter G.