Amos: Pre-season Is Tough For Goalkeepers

Ben Amos is adamant that goalkeepers work just as hard, if not harder, than outfield players during pre-season in order to be ready for the new campaign.

It is a common misconception that a keeper's fitness levels pale in comparison to the rest of the squad, so Amos provided ManUtd.com with an insight into his personal programme during the summer.

Ben is currently in Los Angeles with the rest of the Reds squad and jokes that he is now "a bit of a veteran" of these summer tours. "I've been on five or six of them," he says. So he is ideally placed to talk us through the process of preparing for the new season.

"It feels like I had just the right amount of time off," he told ManUtd.com. "I had just the right amount of rest. These days we get our off-season training programme, which gives us a little bit of work to do after a few weeks off. It means that when we come back we're ready to get straight back into it.

"In that respect, it's all changed from how it used to be. Now, after a week or two of rest you ease back into it and then, by the end of your holiday, you're doing some sort of structured exercise four times a week. It eases the impact on your body once you return to training.

"You still get a few niggles in pre-season as a goalkeeper – your hips and your elbows take the brunt of it as it's not a natural thing to throw yourself around on the ground. But the work you do during your break eases the fatigue a little when you get back for pre-season, which is tough for everyone – not just outfield players.

"It's always tough and we do a lot of short, sharp work as goalkeepers – it's a different sort of endurance to what the outfield lads have and, in my opinion, I'd definitely say it's just as hard. Harder, probably!"

The return to training this month also means working with a new goalkeeping coach, Frans Hoek, so it's a new start having previously worked with the likes of Chris Woods, Eric Steele and Tony Coton.

"I'm looking forward to working with Frans," Ben says. "He comes with a really good reputation. Everybody who's spoken about him has spoken very highly of him so I'm excited to get to work with him. I hope it's a really enjoyable time.

"We've had three goalkeeper coaches now in three years but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's a different angle, a different opinion, a different philosophy on the game. That can really help you if you cherry-pick the best bits from all those coaches. I think it can only benefit me."

The target now for 24-year-old Amos is to get as many first-team minutes as he possibly can. He has made seven appearances for the Reds since his debut in September 2008, and while he has enjoyed loan spells with Carlisle, Hull, Oldham, Molde and Peterborough, he is keen to add to his United tally.

"Last season was a bit of a non-season for me, to be honest," he adds. "I waited to go on loan early doors as I fancied having a go at impressing the last manager. As it turned out I didn't get an opportunity so that left me looking for games in January. I went out on loan and got those under my belt and really enjoyed that [with Carlisle].

"This season, hopefully I can force my way in and get some games. Everybody starts on the same page now and everyone’s out to impress. All being well, I can make a positive impression."