King's Lynn boss opens up on training facility, hopes for the new season and Josh Barrett

King's Lynn Town boss Tommy Widdrington says the club's new training facility will only bode well for the club going forward.

The full-time Linnets are training at a complex near Ely – many miles away from The Walks – as they look to leave no stone unturned ahead of the new National League North season.

Widdrington said: "I'm not knocking anything that went on before me, but the facilities offered to the lads last season were in my opinion not up to standard for what you would call a full-time team.

"Now we're on one site where we've got a pitch to train, gym facilities, pool facilities, studios, everything that you would need.

"There are no excuses. If we want to do something slightly different the facilities are there and I am delighted that the chairman has agreed to provide that for us.

"In truth, coming to King's Lynn every day makes the ground a little bit mundane to the player and the staff.

"Now we're not going to be coming into the club every day, this is our place of work so we can do our work then go back to the training ground on a Monday morning.

"That's a different mentality, a different mindset. That means we can come here on a matchday and our heads will be different and I think that is important."

Lynn's chief has promised fans a side full of energy and desire as they look to hit the ground running from the beginning of next month.

Widdrington said: "I think you'll see an energy, a fitness and a desire to work for the shirt to be honest with you.

"I'm not saying they didn't before I got here, but I definitely thought that was something that everybody who we played against, your Wrexham's, your Notts County's, your Grimsby's, all the manager's afterwards said to me that we were competitive.

"We didn't play as much football as I would have liked to but, like tonight (Norwich), we were playing against a team way better than anything we played last year but we were still competitive in the game."

Widdrington is also satisfied with the club's recruitment over the close season, even though defender Adam Crowther, who was outstanding against the Canaries on Tuesday night, is the club's only new arrival so far.

"Everybody says to me that we haven't brought many new ones in. You talk like that, but we have really because a lot of the lads we brought in towards the end of the season we have managed to retain," he said.

"The ones that were here before I got here who I wanted to retain we've also retained them and that's half the battle with recruitment.

"I know there are certain people in the club now players wise who I know are comfortable to be competitive not just in the National League but towards the top of it and they proved that to me last season.

"The job I feel we've got in hand now is a very different one to when I first came in last December.

"I genuinely believe we will be strong.

"We will be a front-footed side. I know we will be fitter, stronger and faster than a lot of teams in the division and that's something we couldn't say against a lot of sides last season."

Lynn's boss has also reassured supporters that playmaker Josh Barrett will be back in the fold soon as his side prepare to welcome League One MK Dons on Saturday.

Barrett has missed Lynn's last two friendlies and Widdrington said: "It's a double-edged sword with Josh.

"He's not injured as such, he's just got a tight hamstring. He has also got a huge personal event coming up in his life with his partner about to give birth.

"We've got to make sure he is right, both mentally and physically, for when he joins the group again, but there's nothing to worry about with him."