Gary Caldwell stood before his Wigan Athletic squad in a darkened classroom at Christopher Park, pointing to a slide: “This is the only rule I’m going to have for yous all season: team first.” The head coach’s Scottish accent carried over the projector hum. “That is the one thing that we cannot ever go against. The team is the most important aspect of everything we do.”
Three rows of professional athletes listened intently, keen to learn not only about the day ahead but the 10 months to come. Some will see it through to next May, others may leave before the 2026-27 League One campaign begins on 14 August, and new faces will be added.
Team first, always
The meeting was short, enough for Caldwell to zip through tactical points. Lauren Jones, head of performance analysis, played clips from their “best practice bank”. Because she, Caldwell, and first-team coach David Perkins joined from Exeter only in February, the bank is small but growing. Caldwell values “the lads seeing players in Wigan shirts doing what we’re asking of them”.
Perkins relayed the day’s plan – a 1.5km time trial, drills, out-of-possession shape work and an afternoon weights session – before the class was dismissed, reassembling on the grass 45 minutes later. No idling: the squad began self‑led pre-activation, bodies strewn across the gym with bands, benches and foam rollers.
Data-driven fitness testing
The facility is modest but functional. A printed sign sets fines: £50 for phones, sliders or sulking. Centre-back James Carragher declared double that for anyone not beating the guest journalist in the morning run. Strength and conditioning lead Matthew Barrow explained the run: 15 pitch lengths with 14 turns, recommending boots to save time on turns.
It was not the squad’s first test. Their first day back involved body and strength tests “designed to provide us with a benchmark,” Caldwell said. “If they get injured, we know where we need to get them back to.” He added: “That will all have been gone with the first week or so.” Running for running’s sake is past practice. Barrow and sports scientist Jack Craigie use run data to get each player’s maximum aerobic speed. “From that, we individualise all the running they’ll do,” Craigie said. “That way they all get the same stimulus.”
Building character and cohesion
Some sessions start early: 6am meets with 3.5km runs to a partner gym for Hyrox-style workouts. Staff monitor attitude as much as fitness. “We’re taking the group out of their comfort zone to see how they react under a bit of pressure,” Caldwell said. “That will help us know who is going to pick the group up when we’re a little fatigued.” Those sessions also promote his ethos: “When you’re ‘off’ you still have a role to play. Are you helping your pal get in and out of the straps on the rower more quickly? Come November, when we’re struggling in a game, we can remind them of these sessions.”
The late-morning run felt tame by comparison, though after several lengths the notion was dispelled. No one lost £100. Soon footballs were out, the group split for drills. Max Power, back for a third spell, was among the tone setters, encouraging a junior teammate on a pass. “The better the player, the less stick they give people, I find,” a staff member said. “They want everyone to improve.”
Managing intensity with technology
Staff manage intensity using a drone and real-time GPS data, adjusting sessions as needed – sometimes moving cones a few yards. For one drill, tape on the grass created a dozen boxes for three banks of four to find gaps. “Football is sometimes about the chaos,” Caldwell said. “If we give them more space, they will use it.” Building towards a peak is Wigan’s aim, with supporters wanting a return to success after eight seasons as a Premier League side ending in 2013 – the year they lifted the FA Cup with Caldwell in the squad. Four Championship relegations and three League One promotions followed.
Looking ahead
After lunch, the day ended with a short upper-body strength session in the gym. “Once the season begins, training loads are consistent around games,” Barrow said. “But with the time in here now we can really chase that hypertrophy.” Pre-season, once punishment for a summer enjoyed, is now a meticulous, data-driven foundation-building exercise. The payoff will be known only next May.
