It’s always a landmark occasion, and you can always bet on it being a scorcher.
That’s exactly what the first day of pre-season was like for West Ham United Women, as they returned to Chadwell Heath for testing ahead of the 2022/23 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.
It was also a landmark occasion for manager, Paul Konchesky, who was leading the team for the first time since his appointment to the role on the last day of the previous campaign.
In the sweltering conditions, players were put through a series of tests in the gym and indoor astroturf, before heading out onto the grass for the dreaded 1k time trial.
After lunch, Konchesky led a light technical session – which brought an end to a very productive first day back in East London.
The beginning of pre-season has been a long-time coming for the former Hammers full-back, and he was pleased to have his team out on the grass for the first time under his stewardship.
“It’s been an exciting day,” Konchesky told West Ham TV. “I’ve had to wait quite a while since it [Konchesky’s appointment as manager] was announced for this day to come – the first day that the team is back together as one.
“I was probably more nervous than I expected because of the amount of time that there has been since that announcement – but having the girls back today has been a pleasure and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it."
Whilst there was lots of hard work going on throughout the day, there was also plenty of smiles and laughter from the players, who were clearly pleased to be reunited with one another.
Konchesky is pleased with the way his players applied themselves throughout the sessions.
“You know when you come back for pre-season that the chances are that it’s going to be roasting hot! They’ve got a lot of work into their bodies today, and there’s been some really good vibes.
“We’ve got a really good mixture of people here – some young ones, but also some older, more experience pros – It’s a really good mix that we’ve got at the moment, and we will be adding to that during pre-season."
The Hammers will find out who they will be facing in the opening match of the new season on Tuesday 12 July at 3pm BST.
It’s always an exciting date on the calendar for supporters, but Konchesky is not placing too much stock in the impending announcement.
“I don’t think there’s an easy game in the Barclays Women’s Super League. You could say about avoiding the top three or four, but you’ve got to play them at some point, so why not get them out of the way and build on that?
“We’ll take any game to be honest, but it’s exciting and we’re looking forward to the beginning of the campaign," he said.
We will bring you all of the latest news surrounding the release of the 2022/23 Barclays Women's Super League fixtures right here on whufc.com.
