Fresh from signing a new deal, Wycombe midfielder Marcus Bean admitted that pre-season doesn’t get any easier as he prepares to head into his 17th season as a professional footballer.

Bean, 34, was outstanding in the heart of the Blues engine room last season and scored his first goal for the club in the game of the season, the winner in a 4-3 victory over Carlisle at Adams Park in February.

Speaking at the kit launch on Saturday, Bean said: “Pre-season never gets any easier.
“The older you get, the more you just want to get through it without any injuries and make sure you are ready for the first day of the season.

“You have to be sensible at my age. Dave Wates (strength and conditioning coach) gets a good balance between working us hard and knowing when to ease off so we don’t pick up any of those injuries.”

With the Blues ready to embark on a campaign in League One, Bean explained that there has been no difference in his preparation despite the fact the Blues are now in a different league.

He added: “In the back of your mind you have to realise the level has gone up and we need to raise our game. If we don’t do that then we will stand still or go backwards.

“When playing the bigger teams, we have processes in place. The manager sets out what he wants us to do and if we keep to that I believe we will have success.

“However, if we come away from that and don’t perform to the level then we won’t.”