Port Vale players could be training three times a day

Micky Adams replaced Dean Glover as manager of Port Vale in June 2009

Port Vale boss Micky Adams has not ruled out making his squad train up to three times a day during pre-season to raise their fitness levels.

The players returned to Vale Park on Thursday for individual tests and the first of many gruelling sessions before the start of the season on 7 August.

Adams told BBC Radio Stoke: "They've had a decent break in pre-season.

"They're expecting double sessions, maybe sometimes even triple sessions, but we'll have to wait and see."

The former Leicester, Coventry and Brighton manager enforced a punishing fitness regime upon his squad following his arrival at the League Two club in June 2009.

Adams held a meeting with the players on Thursday before beginning his second pre-season with Vale.

"It was just the usual from managers at this time of year," he added. "Pre-season is all about getting the team ready for the first game of the season.

"They're going to be tired at different stages and they're going to go into pre-season games tired.

The manager said it would be hard and it was hard, real hard

Justin Richards on his first day of pre-season training at Port Vale

"There's no pill or shortcuts that you can take to get yourself fit, they understand that, and they know what's expected of them."

Former Cheltenham striker Justin Richards took part in his first training session with the club after signing a two-year contract at Vale Park in June.

"It lived up to expectations," the 29-year-old told BBC Radio Stoke. "The manager said it would be hard and it was hard, real hard.

"He's trying to put across how important it is to be fit and he's definitely getting it through to the lads."

Vale travel to Ireland later this month for two pre-season friendlies.