Manager Keith Hill on the three second year scholars who have made the trip to Tenerife for the pre-season camp…
“It’s a question of them (Matty Gilliam, Andy Hollins and Jack Stewart) making the most of this opportunity,” said Hill.
“They’re swelling the size of the squad at this moment in time and it gives us a good opportunity to see them and to test them without any negativity.
“They’ve got every chance and every opportunity to be involved in some of, if not all of, the pre-season games. It’s good for them.
“If we lose every pre-season game and things don’t go right, then we’ve still got 46 league games and cup games to have a really successful season.
“It’s an opportunity for those young players to come in and make an impression to see if they suit our style and the philosophy of how we do things at this football club. You’ve got to have a winning mentality and you’ve got to want to win. The players have got to try and accept the demands that I put in front of them.”
In addition to Gillam, Hollins and Stewart, Harry Pratt, who was a second year scholar last season, has been invited back to spend pre-season with the first team.
“I wanted to have a look at him in pre-season, and he has worked hard with Kevin [Gibbins – Dale’s Head of Sports Science] over the summer.
“There’s talent there but it’s still very raw. I’ve just got to gauge whether he’s got the football intelligence and the football brain along with his raw natural elements that suit the position that he plays.
“It was important that I didn’t close the door completely on him – we left the path way open and I hope he takes advantage of that.”
The full interview is on Dale PlayerHD.