Scotland training camp vital for squad bonding says skipper Ollie Clarke

Stags kick off their pre-season friendlies this week with a game at Retford tonight (Tuesday) and a trip to Alfreton Town this coming Saturday before heading to St Andrews on Monday for five days.

“Everyone has come back healthy and we're raring to go,” said Clarke.

“The new players are all good lads and seem to have settled in well.

“We have only known them a few days and we will build up our relationships over the course of pre-season, get to know how one another work, and hopefully that will take us forward into the season.

“So Scotland will be good for team bonding and morale, living among each other for four or five days. It is a nice little journey up there on the bus. You can have a nice chill and relax and talk to one another.

“Once we get up there we will have a few days intense training and probably a meal for a bit of team bonding – and that will help build our relationships.

“As a group you need that when you have a few new bodies come into the building.

“You need to get those relationships going as soon as possible.”

On the friendlies, he said: “Once we play against the better sides it will probably be working on our shape as a team and how to defend against teams that will probably dominate the ball.

“Against teams in lower divisions we should be looking to impose our game on them and do what we're good at.

“First and foremost we just need to get our fitness up.

“The gaffer will probably look at different formations with different personnel.”

Clarke was in fine form when he picked up a knock last season that hampered him during the run-in.

“I think I played well in spells last season,” he said.

“I think I was enjoying my best spell in a Mansfield shirt towards the end of the season, but unfortunately picked up that little knee injury for a couple of weeks which sort of set me back.

“In the end we didn't nick into the play-offs which was a bit disappointing in the end.

“Now we're just looking to build on that really.

“Hopefully I can carry it on personally, chip in with a few goals, show my work rate, work hard for the team and do what I do.”

He added: “I don't want to be a bit part player or sat around and be on the fringes, so you have to come back with the bit between your teeth and get yourself right among it from the get-go.

“We have six or seven quality midfielders here who would no doubt walk into a lot of other teams in this division.

“When you have that many the competition here is strong and everyone has got to be at it every day. “You have to lay down a marker with every training session or game you play – you can't step off it.

“The gaffer set the standards for us last year and we had a good strong midfield. We have a lot of different styles of midfielder and I think we all complement each other quite well.

“I am hoping to do well myself but if I'm not playing I want the rest of the lads to do well and I want us to win games.

“We all want to come through unscathed and make sure we have a healthy pre-season for everyone, get the team nice and strong and fit and, me personally, I just want to play as many minutes as I can so I can hit the ground running when the season starts.”