Lee Brown has enjoyed the opportunity to get to know his new team-mates better.
The summer signing is with the rest of the Pompey squad at the Fota Island Resort near Cork in Ireland.
They have been worked hard, with plenty of sessions out on the training pitch and in the gym as preparations for the 2018/19 campaign intensify.
But Brown believes the chance for him and his fellow recent arrivals to bond with the rest of the group is just as important.
The left-back said: “It’s been good to get away to different surroundings and be in everyone else’s pocket for a few days because you get to know them all really well.
“The lads are together for pretty much 24 hours a day and there’s plenty of messing about, as well as all the hard work.
"The lads are together for pretty much 24 hours a day and there’s plenty of messing about, as well as all the hard work."
“We’ve had some intensive double sessions and have already had our first game after just a few days of training.
“You can’t go straight into the season without doing all that work, but I do get bored after a while and want the competitive action to get started.
“The game’s moved on from the days when you would run and run without seeing a ball and the manager wants us to be playing games.
“You don’t necessarily need to be fit enough to go up and down hills 20 times a day. It’s about those short, sharp bursts you get during a match.
“It’s always nice to get those first friendlies out of the way because everyone’s touch is a bit loose. That’s to be expected when you haven’t touched a ball for a couple of months.
“The result against Cork was nice because winning is a habit you always want and it’s a mentality we want to build in this squad.”
Brown is already counting down the days until the opening game of the season against Luton on August 4.
He said: “It’s always in the back of your mind from the minute those fixtures come out. There are always a few nerves ahead of the opener before it settles down.
“What a way to start at Fratton Park against a Luton side who are being talked about for another promotion.
“We’ve also got Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium pretty early and it’ll be nice to go back and see some faces, although I only left a couple of months ago!”