Hull City have been preparing for their second season in the Premier League with a training camp in Portugal. The players recently returned from their holidays, which was well earned considering that Hull not only managed to stay up quite comfortably but also reach the FA Cup final as well. Even though they lost the final against Arsenal, this was seen as a great season for the club. They will be looking to build on this success in the coming campaign, but it will be extremely tough. Newly promoted teams usually struggle in the second season and often end up being relegated.

Midfielder Tom Huddlestone is aware of this dubious record, but he says that the preparations have been going well so far. Compared to the temperate climate of United Kingdom, Portugal has been experiencing hot summers. Reflecting on the climate, Huddlestone said that it was not easy but he is aware that players need to get their fitness as quickly as possible. Due to the World Cup, there is limited time between the start of the new season. Hull city have been relatively active in this transfer window by bringing in some key names like Tom Ince, who initially linked with a glamorous move to Inter Milan.

Ince has also been involved in training with the rest of the team in Portugal. “It’s been good so far. Everybody is getting to know the new lads and we know this trip is going to give us more strength going into the new season. The hot weather is exactly what the manager was looking for because that gets the heart rate going more than it would back home. There’s already been a lot of hard work and by the look of things, all of the lads have come out here in very good shape,” said Huddlestone.