Thirsty work

Photo: Picture: Alan Howarth

ATHLETIC defender James Tarkowski cools down after a training session in Vilamoura.

Matthew Chambers at Athletic’s training camp in Portugal

IF anything, the heat is slowly moving up the gears at Athletic’s training camp.

Just when you think it can’t get any more intense, it does.

James Tarkowski was estimated to be drinking four litres of wter a session — though some of it was sprayed over his head — which gives an indication of how tough conditions have been.

On the fourth day, the temperature gauge rose to over 36 degrees.

So after being rendered jelly-legged and exhausted, how are the players relaxing at night?

Not, as some may cynically believe, through the medium of heavy drinking.

Instead, they spent last night enjoying coffees and chinwags outside the hotel. Very continental.

But competitive people will lean towards competitive activity even in downtime, too.

Jonathan Grounds followed up his shoot-out victory by claiming the 10-man poker tournament — though his success was dismissed as beginner’s luck by Dean Furman.

The captain is no novice in the world of net and ball., but despite being an excellent tennis player in his youth, the table version has yet to see him dislodge ping-pong perfectionists Matt Smith and James Wesolowski in the doubles.

Boasts on Twitter of unbeaten runs stretching over 16 matches should be taken with a pinch of salt, Furman feels.

But then he would, wouldn’t he . . .








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