Declan Rice says West Ham United pre-season under ‘old school’ David Moyes is ‘brutal’ as Hammers star lifts the lid on gruelling regime.
West Ham have looked lethargic and leggy during a pretty underwhelming pre-season.
But pre-season is and always has been more about fitness of course.
Moyes was visibly agitated after West Ham’s 3-1 defeat to Rangers and the lacklustre draw with Reading in recent friendlies.
The Hammers boss warned his players they must up their levels dramatically based on what he has seen in pre-season.
The Scot even said he must expedite his efforts to make new signings such is his concern.
Tomas Soucek said leggy performances are the result of Moyes’ tough training sessions but is confident it will pay off when it counts (whufc.com).
Now Hammers captain Rice says West Ham pre-season under ‘old school’ Moyes is ‘brutal’ as the star lifts the lid on his gruelling regime.
Speaking on Tubes and Ange Golf Life, Rice gave a fascinating insight saying pre-season is especially difficult under Moyes at West Ham.
“It’s tough, it’s very tough, especially with Moyes,” Rice told Tubes and Ange Golf Life.
“Oh he runs ’em, he runs us! Yea, yea (he’s proper old school). He’s got the stopwatches out, he loves a stopwatch, hill climbs, hill runs, triple sessions, double sessions.
“Obviously I was away with England so I missed the first two weeks of pre-season… and speaking to a few of the lads who were at St Andrews then went to France, by all accounts it was brutal.
“It’s pre-season so anything Moyes says goes really. Triple session, double session, gym, you just get on with it. You wake up early, ball work, yea, he’ll be up, he usually gets them on the beach at St Andrews – I’ve not been there to experience it yet because I’ve done the Euros last year and this year obviously the Nations League – but on the beach for a run in the morning, it will be like come back for two hours, breakfast, go again train, come back, lunch, rest for a few hours and then train again in the evening. So he’s proper on it.
“He’s got some mad runs, they’re like so tough. He does one called the horseshoe – it’s like an old school one, it’s brutal! It’s in the shape of a horseshoe obviously and you’re running and you’ve got to do it like four times and halfway around your hamstrings are gone, it’s horrible, it’s brutal!
“But he’s got a couple he brings out that are really, really tough.”
Rice, who reiterated he has a fantastic relationship with his manager, said players have to be so physically fit to compete in the modern Premier League that you simply cannot afford to let yourself go in the off-season.
And the West Ham talisman revealed he and Vladimir Coufal returned with the lowest body fat percentage, telling Golf Life he was “buzzing” after indulging in his weakness for sweets.
Antonio Conte is lauded for his brutal pre-season fitness regimes.
Let’s hope Moyes’ pay off and stand West Ham in good stead when the real action kicks off next weekend.
MORE WEST HAM NEWS
West Ham assistant issues reassuring transfer update on behalf of Moyes.
Nevin’s hugely exciting verdict on what he’s seen from Scamacca in training.
Death of the Saturday 3pm kick-off for West Ham is price of progress.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
