Deal Town are back in training and manager Steve King hopes that a familiar group helps give them an edge.

King has kept the majority of the players together that finished third in the Southern Counties East Premier Division in 2022/23 so he heads into pre-season with a settled side and one he knows inside out.

The Hoops boss said: “For a lot of sides pre-season is about gelling new players and lots of sides have got new managers and things like that, but for us it is going to be about making sure we have the fitness levels where we want and work on some areas where we think we can improve from last year.

“It is nice knowing the group that you have got coming in and being ready to get down to work straight away.

“We finished last season strongly and we have kept the squad together and it is just [a case of] looking forward to getting back together as a group and getting down to work.

“We want to bring in three, maybe, before the season starts in areas we know we can strengthen but we have the luxury of not having to rush that, and making sure we get the right players in.

“Sometimes you have to wait a few weeks into pre-season.

“Players that maybe have gone into clubs at a higher level and then realise they may not get an opportunity there may suddenly become available.

“We are in quite a nice position where we haven’t had to go out and build a squad but we will be looking to add to it. We are happy with what we’ve got and if we have to start with what we’ve got, we know it is a very good group - but I imagine there will be at least two or three additions by the time we get going.”

Deal’s players were due in for their first day back in training yesterday (Tuesday) and again tomorrow (Thursday). It gives them a couple of weeks before their first friendly of the summer, against Canterbury City, on Sunday, July 2.

King added: “We are going to have some trialists in, a couple of the boys from the reserves and our successful youth teams last year, but mainly it is going to be the group that finished the last season will be starting the new one.

“We have the advantage of probably being ahead of a few others sides in that respect.”

The SCEFL Premier Division season kicks off earlier than most, on Saturday, July 29.

King doesn’t have any concern about fitness from his side ahead of their return.

“They are a completely different breed now,” he said. “Even in the eight years I have been involved. We have a fit squad anyway, it is quite a young squad, we only have one or two players in their 30s.

“The boys are naturally fit but they look after themselves a lot more. It is more about that match fitness and that sharpness that you lose a little bit of.

“A lot of the boys have already been in doing group sessions over the last few weeks, a lot of them play five-a-side a couple of times a week to tick over.

“It has really changed from the old-school pre-season of maybe 15-20 years ago. We will get the fitness into them, but a lot of that will be done while using the footballs.

“We track everything through GPS, we know exactly what levels they need to be at, it is a pretty scientific approach, but the players look after themselves.”