GARY Liddle took one glance around the Grangemouth Stadium pitch and suddenly felt rather old.

At 29, City's captain for the first half of the Motherwell friendly was one of the senior statesmen of a mix-and-match line-up. Only Filipe Morais – by six months – and trialist midfielder Mark Fotheringham could beat him.

But Liddle knows just how valuable rubbing shoulders day in, day out with the more experienced brigade on the pre-season tour can be for the club's newest pros.

He said: "It's great for the young lads. I remember when I was that age myself, it was a privilege to go away in pre-season with the senior squad.

"You've got a group of only 23 or so going away and to be selected as a first or second-year pro is a massive thing.

"At Middlesbrough, I went away with players who were of international quality at the time and it was huge for me.

"It's no different here. We've got young lads who train with us quite often and for them to get picked to spend a full week away with everyone is a great learning curve."

City make sure that the youngsters are in the heart of everything during the week and not pushed to one side in their own group. Even the seating plan for dinner at the luxury hotel base is mixed up so that young and 'old' muck in together.

Liddle said: "It's quite a relaxed environment and it's important that those players who are quiet, like the younger lads, do feel a part of things.

"They will be needed this year because we haven't got the biggest squad.

"We've got games in the JP Trophy, the FA Cup, League Cup and obviously quite a few in the league to stack in, so everyone will be part of it."

Liddle has also seen the way the summer transfer recruits have settled into the ranks during the time north of the border.

He said: "Clubs always make new signings and it's going to take them pre-season to bed in. That's what has happened here.

"Mark Marshall has arrived in the last couple of days and it's nice to see how he's integrated into the squad. He's been fine, as have the others.

"If the manager can get the signings that he's after on top of that, then it bodes well."

Leading that list is a centre half, with an unnamed target currently mulling over an offer. In the meantime, Parkinson has shuffled his pack at the back and Liddle has played both friendlies on defensive duties.

It is something that he is happy to do, reprising a role that won him player-of-the-year honours with Notts County three seasons ago.

He admitted: "I enjoy defending. I enjoy heading, making tackles and clearances and giving the ball to the lads in front of me.

"Obviously it's something I'm used to after spending a whole year at Notts County playing centre half. I ended up winning a few awards for that, so I must have been doing something right in that position.

"I've played there quite often recently in training as well. The gaffer switches things around with me, Chris Routis, Rozzer (Rory McArdle) and Sheehs (Alan Sheehan) a little bit and tries different positions.

"I've found myself at the back and totally enjoyed it. If need be, I'm perfectly all right with it.

"In the two games I've played, we've had the added bonus of a couple of clean sheets. I know it's only pre-season but you want to win games and want to stop them scoring."