THE pre-season trip to Austria will be hugely beneficial to Blackburn Rovers as these trips are worth their weight in gold.

Some people will look at it and think it is a bit of a jolly but the players will be training three times a day and living in each other’s pockets.

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It gives Owen Coyle a chance to look at all the players in a complete environment and gives the new boys a chance to bed in and get to know their teammates.

It is a really good opportunity for all the players to bond and get to know each other’s games, it is not like going to training and then heading home every night.

You are there in the hotel, day and night, training and then probably playing cards or computer games against each other in the evening.

But what the players will be looking forward to is a game at the end of the week.

There is nothing better than getting that first game in.

Pre-season training has come on a lot in their last few years, in my day you might not see a ball for two weeks.

It was purely focussed around running and fitness work.

It wasn’t until I played under Bobby Robson at the end of my career that the ball came out early.

He would have us playing with it all day and then sleeping with it all night and it took you back to your childhood.

I am sure the Rovers players will be doing plenty of ball work early on and hopefully they will be ready for the new season.

One player I am looking forward to seeing is Jack Byrne, who has joined from Manchester City.

He is one of those players that could provide some attacking spark at Ewood Park this season.

You never know how young players are going to turn out but I am hopeful he can be a good signing.

He went on loan last season to Holland (SC Cambuur) and by all accounts played very well.

It says a lot about him that he chose to go abroad on loan and further his career there. It won’t have been an easy move. I remember coming down to England from Scotland and thinking it was hard at 22 so at his age it will have been tough.

But he will have got a lot out of playing first-team football every week.

So far I am quite optimistic about the signings Rovers have made.

Danny Graham is a good signing and getting him tied down to a deal was a big statement. Anthony Stokes is also a shrewd signing.

He has scored plenty of goals and although he has had a few misdemeanours he is clearly a good player and hopefully Owen can get the best out of him.

Rovers certainly look a lot stronger in attack now heading into the new campaign.