Ryan Lowe sets out dual pre-season aim for Wigan Athletic squad
Ryan Lowe says his Wigan Athletic players will be making the most of both aspects of their time away together at next week's training camp in Spain.
The squad recently returned to Christopher Park for medical assessments ahead of the pre-season programme.
They'll be back on the field next Saturday (July 5) for the opening friendly at Chorley, before flying out to the Costa Blanca for a week-long stay at the Campoamor resort.
Lowe says their time in Spain will be doubly advantageous - with hard work to be done on the training pitches, while the squad bonds off the field during the down time.
"It will be a bit of both really," said Lowe, who was a regular visitor to the facilities at Campoamor during his time as Preston North End manager.
"The week away will stay the same as I've always done it as a manager...it will be tough, Sunday to Sunday.
"Of course there'll be a bit of downtime during the week, the lads will play a bit of golf on site, but that will have to be earned.
"It's just nice to get the lads away, the camaraderie will build, and that's where you set the culture and the standards in the group.
"They'll be given objectives, what that looks like going into the season, which is always important.
"There'll be a game at the end of the week (against Curzon Ashton), and hopefully we'll have a few fans coming over which is always nice for them and also for us.
"It's a pre-season I'm really excited about, everything's always exciting at this time of the year...the chance to get to know players, get to know staff.
"Being with each other 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is a good thing and we're really looking forward to it."
Lowe says the players will be looking to pick up where they left off at the end of last season, when they closed with an impressive eight-match unbeaten sequence.
"The lads have had a good, well-deserved break,” he added. “It was a tough season on and off the pitch. I obviously came in for the last couple of months, changed the dynamics, the style of play and the formation. It's important they had that break to recharge the batteries.”