Liam Keen analysis: Day one of Wolves' pre-season tour of America

Gary O’Neil, his coaches and players arrived on Tuesday afternoon and by Wednesday morning they were training in the intense heat at Inter Miami’s Florida Blue Training Center.

Basking in the sun next to the Chase Stadium, the Wolves players were tested in their first US training session – and the Express & Star was in attendance.

Training drills

It was officially a light session following the team’s long flight from London, but the players were still put through their paces ahead of the new Premier League season.

Some running and stretching warm-ups came first, with a focus on getting the players moving before some dynamic running drills.

Once they had a ball at their feet, they then went through some possession-retention drills in small teams within a confined space, forcing the players to make smart decisions with the ball with little space or time.

That was followed by some team-related drills as they worked on shape and working the ball through the thirds.

O’Neil was very hands-on with this section, as he worked with his players on patterns of play to get the ball forward, out wide and into the number 10 before finding the back of the net.

There was then an 11-a-side game on a shorter pitch, as O’Neil encouraged his players to play out from defence, while simultaneously encouraging the other side to press high and aggressively. It was a promising start to a gruelling schedule.

Battling the elements

Throughout the session the players had to deal with some extreme conditions in Fort Lauderdale.

The actual temperature was slightly cooler than the recent trip to Marbella and the occasional cloud and gentle breeze did take the edge off the sun’s impact.

But the biggest difference was the intense humidity. It makes breathing harder, the legs feel heavier and the sweating severe.

Even during the warm-ups, some players could feel the impact of the humidity.

And that is no slight on their fitness levels, but instead the specific nature of the elements they are working in.

To cool down, most players also used the sprinklers after the 11-a-side game.

Throughout the two-week tour, training in these conditions can only serve the team well ahead of the new campaign.

Shock inclusion

Daniel Podence has not travelled to America due to a calf strain, however he is still very likely to depart the club this summer.

With that news, Goncalo Guedes was welcomed back from the cold and jetted off with the team.

He is also likely to leave this summer, but just like Podence in Marbella, Guedes has been handed an opportunity.

If – and it is a big if – the player insists he wants to stay and commit his future to Wolves, O’Neil could find a space for him.

He is clearly a talented footballer and Wolves would benefit from adding depth in the forward areas.

But the player will need to adjust his approach from his previous spell with Wolves, which showed a player desperate to move on.

For now, Wolves’ priority on this trip will be players with secure futures with a tough Premier League campaign to come.