"Up to them" - Telford boss challenges squad to improve fitness levels

Telford boss Kevin Wilkin has challenged his players to ramp up their fitness levels by putting in more hard work outside of their time training together.

The Bucks are a part-time outfit who come usually come together twice a week for training sessions, which can involve anything from tactical meetings to technical drills and fitness work, often squeezed into a relatively small amount of time.

And in a division where many opponents operate on a full-time basis, Wilkin insists his players must work equally as hard in their own time to bridge the gap.

“You can’t just think you’re going to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays and do nothing physically for the rest of the week,” he explained. “ You’ve got to go away and put that extra effort in when you’re away from the club so that when we are together we can focus on other things.

“So many other clubs are either hybrid or full-time, but we just have to trust that we’ve got got the right players who will go away and put in that work.

“Ultimately it’s up to them. I can’t see what they do every day but I have to trust that they’re disciplined and putting in the work.

“It’s not just about exercise or the gym, it’s about their diet, living right and showing a level of professionalism about things.

“We’re a part-time team competing against a lot of full-time teams, and we need our players to help bridge that gap by doing the right things away from the club.”