Recent comments from midfielder Finn Azaz should excite Middlesbrough fans going into the 2024/25 campaign.
Middlesbrough have begun their preparation for the 2024/25 Championship campaign, which kicks off on August 10th.
Michael Carrick welcomed his Boro squad back to training on June 24th as they gear up for a promotion push in the coming season.
The North East outfit travelled to Portugal on July 7th for a warm-weather training camp but will return to England for their pre-season friendlies starting next week.
Middlesbrough’s first friendly of the summer sees them face off with Bolton Wanderers on July 20th.
Carrick will then pit his side against Gateshead, Doncaster Rovers, and Harrogate Town before a clash with SC Heerenveen rounds out their pre-season on August 3rd.
Finn Azaz opens up on Middlesbrough pre-season
Middlesbrough have taken a 28-man squad to Portugal, which includes 26 senior players and two academy prospects in Law McCabe and Sonny Finch.
Matthew Hoppe has been left in England with the striker no longer in Boro’s plans going forward.
However, the rest of Middlesbrough’s senior players have all made the trip, including Finn Azaz.
Azaz joined the Reds in January from Plymouth Argyle and has been discussing how pre-season is going so far.
The midfielder was quick to highlight that this is his first proper pre-season in four years, while also stating he is working to improve a few things from 2023/24, as per Teesside Live.
He said: “This is my first proper pre-season in maybe like four years now. It’s nice to actually come back to the same group, people that I already know etc.
“My focus is just on getting through the sessions and I’m also hoping to use pre-season to work on a few things that I really want to improve on from last season.
“It’s gone really well so far and you do look forward to the games coming.”
Azaz comments should excite Middlesbrough fans
When Azaz joined Middlesbrough from Aston Villa earlier this year, there was a lot of hype around the 22-year-old.
However, while he had a decent second half of 2023/24 on Teesside, scoring four and assisting five in 20, it is fair to say he did not perform as well as some Boro fans may have hoped.
The reason for this is now clear after Azaz’s aforementioned comments revealed he has not had a proper pre-season in so long.
Preparing well for a campaign is such a crucial part of any season, with players who miss out on pre-season due to injury, etc. often struggling to perform once the normal season begins.
The importance of stability should not be understated either. Azaz had stints with Cheltenham Town, West Bromwich Albion, Newport County, and Plymouth in the last few years.
This meant the player had no stability and was never really able to embed himself into one side.
Now though, with Azaz having a full pre-season to work with the same teammates and get back to full fitness, Boro fans should expect big things from the Irishman in 2024/25.