Danny Cowley believes that Pompey’s trip to St George’s Park has provided the perfect preparation for the new League One campaign.
The squad have spent the past week training at the The FA’s national fitness centre – which was England’s base during the European Championship.
A scheduled friendly match against Premier League side Crystal Palace was cancelled, necessitating an in-house game on Friday.
But Cowley was still pleased with the work undertaken by his troops, who have a clash with Bristol City next week.
The Blues boss said: “The attitude and work ethic has been excellent and this new group – with contracted players and trialists – have trained well.
“It’s a great opportunity to get out on the grass and do some work to make sure we’re a resilient, determined and gritty team.
"Pre-season is about training the habits and behaviours of the players and the more you practice, the more you develop."
“We know there are trials and tribulations during a campaign, with many ups and downs, and you have to train those qualities.
“Pre-season is about training the habits and behaviours of the players and the more you practice, the more you develop.
“You’re trying the find the balance between pushing them physically and mentally, but not breaking them.
“It’s been great to be at the facility and be together 24/7 – they’re long days, but they’re also good days.
“We’ve enjoyed each other’s company and have done a little bit of team building work, which was fun.
“It was a great week and we are appreciative of the club for finding the funding to allow us to come to St George’s Park.
“England were there for many weeks during the Euros. There’s pretty much everything you need – it’s like the Disneyland of football!”